^{This page is part of © FOTW Flags Of The World website}

Gabon - Presidential flags

Image by Željko Heimer, 02 Oct 2001
Proportions: 3:4
Source: Smith (1982) [smi82]

Presidential flag (1990 - )
Presidential flag (1960- 1990)

See also:

Gabon

Presidential flag (1990 - )

Presidential Flag of Gabon since 1990 is the national tricolour with white disk with the coat of arms in the middle. Before that a square flag being banner of arms was used, as shown, e.g., in Smith (1982) [smi82].
Željko Heimer, 02 Oct 2001

Presidential flag (1960 - 1990)

Image by Željko Heimer, 02 Oct 2001
Ratio: 1:1
Source: Smith (1982) [smi82]

The initial President's flag was a square banner of arms as shown in Smith (1982) [smi82].
Željko Heimer, 02 Oct 2001

It was asked why the Gabonese President's standard changed in the 1990s despite there being no change in the President. A possible answer is political. In June 1990, the 16th French-African summit took place in La Baule. Francoise Mitterrand, then president of France, gave a famous speech in which he urgently asked for more democracy in the African countries. It was not only a call but also a threat, which can be summed up as: "There cannot be democracy without development, but there cannot be development without democracy" (i.e. no more funds and military help from France if there is no progress towards democracy). In Gabon, a National Conference gathered from 27 March to 19 April 1990 and recommended multi-party democracy to then President Bongo. Bongo had to abandon some of his personal powers and it is possible that this modification of the president's status was reflected by a modification of his standard.
Ivan Sache, 06 Oct 2001