{"id":10244,"date":"2023-09-02T22:09:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-02T12:09:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=10244"},"modified":"2024-12-17T23:24:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T13:24:10","slug":"coup-in-timber-rich-gabon-poses-threat-to-global-supply-chains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/coup-in-timber-rich-gabon-poses-threat-to-global-supply-chains\/","title":{"rendered":"Coup in Timber-Rich Gabon Poses Threat to Global Supply Chains"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Military leaders who seized power in Gabon have named the head of the presidential guard, Brice Oligui Nguema, the country’s interim leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The coup occurred yesterday after the West African state’s election body announced President Ali Bongo’s re-election – the eighth coup in the past three years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Much of the reporting over the past 24 hours has centred on the impact on global supplies of oil and minerals – with Gabon the second largest supplier of manganese<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa is the largest supplier of the mineral, Australia is third, and China is fourth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gabon, a former French Colony, is working with Eramet, who has invested heavily in expanding manganese output. Manganese, a key ingredient in steelmaking, is also finding growing usage in electric-vehicle batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond its mineral wealth, Wood Central can reveal that the state is a major regional player in processed forest exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over 88% of the country is covered in a tropical rainforest – which has given rise to the country’s second-highest export – timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

With its oil reserves in decline, can regulated logging safeguard the vast wealth of Gabon's forests? | #COP26<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/xNVlcwqMCY<\/a><\/p>— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 3, 2021<\/a><\/blockquote>