Will France continue to be Bongo's preferred partner in eavesdropping ?

摘要

What's the use of intelligence if it just gathers dust? This is the question taxing Franco-Gabonese security folk in both Paris and Libreville. They are worried about the future of Silam, the telephone and internet interception service Paris set up in the early 1980s for Omar Bongo's exclusive use and which continues to serve the Gabonese presidency today. Working exclusively on behalf of and reporting only to the president, French national Jean-Charles Solon, who oversees Silam's day-to-day operations, has not seen the Gabonese head of state for many months and finds himself totally at sea in Gabon's new power set-up, which centres around Noureddin Bongo, the president's eldest son and top aide.