Gabonese National Unity Party

The Gabonese National Unity Party (French: Parti de l'unité nationale gabonaise, PUNGA; Punga being the Eshira word for 'tornado')[1] was a small Marxist political party based in Nyanga Province in Gabon.[2][2][3][4] The party drew support from functionaries in the newly established public administration.[5]

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History

The party was founded on 20 August 1958,[1][6] and was led by René-Paul Sousatte and Jean-Jacques Boucavel, who had broken away from the Gabonese Democratic and Social Union two days earlier.[2][1][7] The founders of PUNGA also included Louis M'Vey (of the CGAT trade union movement), Valentin Mihindou, Martin Longa (municipal councillor, BDG member), Henri Moundounga (in charge of the cabinet of the minister of Public Works) and Jean-Félix Lassy (in-charge of the cabinet of the minister of Public Functions).[1] Sousatte served as the chairman of the party, Boucavel as vice chairman, Mihindou as secretary and Marcel Sandoungou as joint secretary.[1]

PUNGA advocated immediate independence from French colonial rule, and called for a 'no' vote in the September 1958 referendum,[7] which would have resulted in independence. At the time PUNGA, which was itself born in the midst of the preparations of the referendum, was the sole political force in the country that advocated this position.[8] As an alternative to French domination, the party was open to the creation of a confederation of free and equal states.[8] PUNGA had the backing of the Gabonese Action Movement, a Gabonese student organization in Metropolitan France.[2]

Ultimately only 15,244 of the 190,334 voters voted 'No'. Following the referendum the influence of the party decreased.[9]

In spite of the radical positions of the party, Sousatte turned against the French Communist Party. This development led to a split between him and M'Vey.[1] In 1962 Sousatte was named Minister of Agriculture.[10]

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References
  1. Partis politiques et Unité nationale au Gabon (1957–1989). KARTHALA Editions. 1 November 2009. pp. 71, 76, 78–79. ISBN 978-2-8111-3201-9.
  2. L'Afrique et l'Asie (45-48 ed.). 1959. p. 66.
  3. 20 ans d'action et de progrès: Gabon 1968-1988. Parti démocratique gabonais. 1988.
  4. Fin de règne au Gabon. KARTHALA Editions. 2009. p. 42. ISBN 978-2-8111-0283-8.
  5. Clotaire Messi Me Nang; Aimé Moundziégou Moussavou (2005). Le malaise gabonais: élites et société au Gabon : actes du colloque, Paris, 2 avril 2005. L'Harmattan. p. 72. ISBN 978-2-7475-8970-3.
  6. Le Mois en Afrique (170-179 ed.). Le Mois en Afrique. 1980. p. 10.
  7. Fidèle-Pierre Nze-Nguema (1998). L'État au Gabon: de 1929 à 1990 : le partage institutionnel du pouvoir. Harmattan. p. 102. ISBN 978-2-7384-6321-0.
  8. La transmission de l'Etat colonial au Gabon (1946-1966). Institutions, élites et crises. KARTHALA Editions. 1 November 2009. pp. 111, 162. ISBN 978-2-8111-3213-2.
  9. Gaston Rapontchombo (2007). Le président Léon Mba et les débuts de la République gabonaise: chronique de dix années d'histoire (1957–1967). Éditions du Silence. p. 55. ISBN 978-2-912123-65-7.
  10. Philippe Decraene (1963). Tableau des partis politiques de l'Afrique au sud du Sahara. Centre d'étude des relations internationales. p. 65.
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