(Ecofin Agency) - Public Prosecutor of Libreville Court of First Instance, Steve Ndong Essame Ndong, issued a statement dated January 5 which explains evictions from Angondje and Bikele, last December.

On August 10, 2016, the official says, the government, through the Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing, addressed the Libreville Court a request to evict all illegal occupants of social housing of Angondje and Bikele.

After the State’s request was approved, bailiffs were sent repeatedly to warn the occupants, but to no avail, says Steve Ndong Essame Ndong. “As it failed to proceed, the Gabonese State, through the State judicial officer, called unto me to enforce the court’s decision issued on August 11, 2016,” the Prosecutor revealed.

The Libreville prosecutor's office thus sent 400 law enforcement and security officers deployed in equal numbers on both sites to remove deedless residents from 1,279 villas identified by the relevant services of the Ministry of Housing. “Overall, the operation occurred without anybody being injured. However, a major incident at Angondje was that the deliberate destruction of movable property, knowingly water pipes which were stored on the site were burnt,” said the magistrate.

Steve Ndong Essame Ndong announced the immediate opening of an investigation which to date resulted in the identification of three people, including two minors, as probable perpetrators of the act. These will soon be called to the public prosecutor's office.

Sylvain Andzongo