Libreville’s diesel queues stretch on as petrol also grows scarce

Taxi driver Vianey Ndoumou had been waiting for fuel since 4 a.m., only to find himself chasing another empty pump. Told that diesel was available near a prison, he left his queue and headed there. It had run out by the time he arrived. He returned to his original station, where a delivery was expected that evening after two days without one, according to Africanews.

His search captures the daily difficulty of finding diesel in Libreville, Gabon’s capital. Lines have been building outside service stations since the end of September, with customers carrying jerrycans as they wait for fuel. Purchases are being limited to 10,000 CFA francs per person. That cap restricts what each customer can buy, while the wait for deliveries leaves drivers unsure when they will reach a working pump.

Drivers search while stations await deliveries

One motorist told Africanews that diesel had been unavailable for more than three days, causing serious difficulties for vehicles that depend on it. The driver described the problem as extending across Greater Libreville, including Ntoum and Akanda. The account points to a search for fuel that reaches beyond a single station or neighbourhood, with motorists facing shortages across the wider capital area.

At the pumps, station managers and employees are the people left facing customers’ demands for explanations. Ndoumou’s account shows how uncertain information can shape the search: a report of available fuel sent him to another location, but the supply was gone before he could buy any. Back at the first station, the next opportunity depended on a delivery that was still expected rather than already available.

Gabon's Ministry of Petroleum and Gas acknowledged a temporary disruption to supplies at service stations in Libreville in a statement issued the previous week, Africanews reported. Forecourt manager Regis Mavoungou offered a different description. He rejected the idea of a supply problem, while saying stations repeatedly receive less fuel than they order, complicating their sales and calculations.

“When you order 20,000 litres, you don't receive 20,000 — you get 15,000 litres,” forecourt manager Regis Mavoungou told Africanews.

Refinery stocks and transport difficulties

Africanews linked the shortage to falling stocks at SOGARA, Gabon’s national refinery, which processes crude oil into fuels. The report also cited difficulties moving refined fuel because of what it described as a maritime crisis. Those problems form the backdrop to the queues, while Mavoungou’s account highlights the smaller-than-requested deliveries arriving at individual stations.

A tanker carrying fresh supplies had been announced, with fuel availability expected to return to normal by Monday. But Africanews reported that petrol had also become scarce and that queues were continuing. The next development to watch is whether the announced shipment restores supplies at stations—and whether drivers waiting for either diesel or petrol can finally fill up without another search.