G abon terminated the contract that bound it to Intershipping Services LLC because Libreville considers that the company accumulated serious contractual breaches that disrupted the national maritime registry and harmed the interests of the State. The decision, enacted in the Council of Ministers on April 30, 2026, comes in a context of strong criticism related to the use of the Gabonese flag by ships associated with the Russian 'phantom fleet' and increasing international pressure.

The reasons put forward by Libreville According to the published information, the authorities blame Intershipping for not respecting its obligations in managing the international ship registry, to the point of compromising its proper functioning. The government also wants to regain direct control of a sector considered strategic, after deviations that would have weakened the credibility of the Gabonese flag.

A file that has become sensitive The contract, signed in September 2018, entrusted Intershipping with the registration and administrative monitoring of ships flying the Gabonese flag. But the outsourced management has been criticized for its lack of effective control, in a case where several ships are said to have been used to circumvent international sanctions, exposing Gabon to a risk of reputation and compliance.

The Gabonese government has terminated the contract binding the State to Intershipping Services LLC, the company responsible for managing the international register of ships flying the Gabonese flag. Meeting on April 30, 2026, the Council of Ministers justified this termination due to "serious contractual breaches," considering that the company had not fulfilled its obligations, to the detriment of the proper functioning of the register and the interests of the State.

This decision takes place in a context of tensions around the Russian 'ghost fleet,' with several ships having used the Gabonese flag to bypass Western sanctions. Under international pressure, Libreville now intends to regain control over a strategic sector in order to restore the credibility of the national flag and strengthen the administrative control of registrations.