In Libreville, drivers queue for hours as diesel runs short
Fuel has been rationed in Gabon's capital since late September. The government calls it a temporary disruption; station managers say deliveries keep coming up short.
Libreville — Drivers in Gabon's capital, Libreville, have been queuing for hours to buy diesel since the end of September, with lines of vehicles and people carrying jerrycans outside service stations across the city, Africanews reports.
Fuel is being rationed, with purchases limited to 10,000 CFA francs per person. One motorist told the broadcaster that diesel had been unavailable for more than three days across Greater Libreville, including the districts of Ntoum and Akanda. A taxi driver said he had been waiting since four in the morning, after being sent from one station to another as each ran dry.
What is behind it
In a statement last week, the Ministry of Petroleum and Gas acknowledged a temporary disruption in supply to the capital's service stations.
According to the report, the shortage is linked to falling stocks at SOGARA, the national refinery, and to difficulties in shipping refined fuel.
A forecourt manager interviewed by Africanews described a recurring problem with deliveries: stations that order 20,000 litres, he said, may receive 15,000.
Not over yet
A tanker carrying a new shipment was announced, and supplies were expected to return to normal at the start of the week. But petrol has now become scarce as well, the report says, and the queues continue.
This report is based on reporting by Africanews.
