Central Africa: how the management of the head of ECCAS plunged this organization into crisis
Authoritarian and illegible decisions, tensions with his agents: the management of Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo within the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) is contested. The Angolan, president of the ECCAS commission, has been widely criticized since taking office in 2020. Internal tensions with, in the background, a standoff between Gabon and Angola.
Gilberto Da Piedade Verissimo, President of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), participating in a session on Russia-Africa as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2022 (SPIEF 2022). SOPA Images/LightRocket via Gett - SOPA Images
By: Sébastien Németh Follow
Advertisement
Read more
“
Verissimo is vomited. He watches for the slightest opportunity to create problems.
» Undiplomatic comments from an observer in Libreville about the president of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (
ECCAS)
, Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo.
It must be said that in recent years the atmosphere has deteriorated significantly within the sub-regional organization. A situation which deteriorated little by little, with the first frictions as soon as the Angolan diplomat took office in September 2020.
Some are indeed shocked by the brutal management of the former general of the Angolan army. Barely arrived, the new president wants to make his mark and launches a review of all employment contracts. An internal audit is carried out. But, according to an agent, “
only him and the administrative secretary saw it. Staff members have been downgraded. Others have lost their acquired rights. Salaries have been reduced by 5 to 15%. This is an attack on the rights of civil servants
,” protested an official affected by the reform.
As for recruitment, several sources question certain practices and point to a lack of transparency. “
Texts have been circumvented. People were hired with subjective criteria, without calls for applications or respect for procedures
,” indicates an administrative manager.
Extend your power
Paradoxically, it is Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo's inaction that he is criticized for in other issues, notably that of the reform of the institution. A project launched in 2015 requiring a new institutional framework whose adoption is struggling under his mandate. “
We found ourselves with a major difficulty, that of a legal vacuum. For example, he refused to have the internal regulations drawn up
,” confides a highly placed source. A text still not adopted to this day.
Shortcomings that would allow the new president to extend his power over the organization. It is President Verissimo who, for example, would decide on projects in the different departments. “
He deliberately chose not to close the regulatory gaps, to exercise total control. The commissioners are no longer autonomous
,” believes a Commission official.
The management of the organization is thus described as authoritarian but also solitary. The Angolan would have surrounded himself with a small group of trusted collaborators. Thus tensions appeared with the appointment of an administrative secretary, Alberto Cassonga Cabongo, also Angolan. All administrative and financial services are attached to him, and he would only answer to the authority of the president who has made him a sort of “
right arm
”. “
This allows him, again, to maintain control. The vice-president and the commissioners are treated as assistants. Decisions are no longer made as a group. It no longer even brings together the college of commissioners
,” indicates an executive.
These episodes would have, over time, significantly deteriorated the working atmosphere. Concerned, ECCAS employees then sent Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo a memorandum. In this document dated April 5, 2022, of which RFI was able to read extracts, they say they are “
surprised and very concerned by the discriminatory and sometimes arbitrary way in which certain texts are implemented. This situation creates uneasiness and a harmful work climate
,” we can read.
Then, a major element aggravates the crisis: the
coup d'état of August 30, 2023 in Libreville
. The internal tension within ECCAS then took on an international dimension. Meeting on September 4 in Equatorial Guinea, the organization decided to suspend Gabon and temporarily move its headquarters from Libreville to Malabo.
Gabon-Angola conflict
An Angola-Gabon standoff then begins. The Angolan ambassador in Libreville initially refused to display the portrait of General Brice Oligui Nguema, the country's new strongman. In retaliation, the Gabonese authorities did not send any officials to the Angolan independence ceremonies on November 11.
Read alsoDiplomatic tensions with Angola: Gabon recalls its ambassador
For his part, Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo decides to accelerate the departure from the ECCAS headquarters. On November 15, he began to put in place the conditions for the relocation. On the 23rd, he therefore sent employees a list of essential personnel expected to leave. This letter is of great concern to the agents. To the point that, during November, they sent him an official letter.
In this document, obtained by RFI, five staff representatives express their concern regarding Mr. Verissimo's method of initiating the departure. Why were the agents not notified of this decision? On what criteria were essential personnel chosen? What about maintaining their status, fees and children’s schooling? Details that Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo did not give.
This upcoming relocation crystallizes tensions and the climate becomes more and more execrable. On November 28, the protest reached the top of the organization chart, because it was the turn of the organization's five commissioners to write to Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo. In this letter that RFI was able to obtain, they criticize the vagueness in which their superior keeps them. They “
deplore not having been associated
” with the project, of not “
having access to the signed decision
”. The commissioners are therefore concerned about the financial cost of such a move, the status of staff, and ultimately “
the risk of negative impact on staff performance
”. They have already noted the “
demobilization
” of the agents. To conclude, the commissioners request a meeting with their boss, to “
maintain a peaceful climate
”.
But this meeting will not take place, especially since the Angolan seems to be conspicuous by his absence in Libreville. “
He just travels. He's never in the office. It goes directly to the Member States. He bypasses the committee of ambassadors and the commissioners. He never summons them, does not consult them
,” confides one of his colleagues.
Whistleblowers
But the protest expressed by diplomatic-style letters changes tone. An anonymous letter with a much more direct character is distributed. This text, signed by “whistleblowers
”
and obtained by RFI, denounces abuses, violations of the texts, biased interpretations of the principles, relentlessness against certain employees. In short, the document undermines Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo. The diplomat is accused of managing the commission “
without sharing
”, of making decisions “
without consultation
”, of “
manipulating ” the commissioners, of carrying out “
arbitrary, illegal and clientelist
” recruitment
. And to denounce “
disastrous personnel management
”.
This time, the criticism extends to questions of money. The whistleblowers speak of “
governance marred by serious irregularities
”, with a lack of transparency and risks of embezzlement. In conclusion, the whistleblowers demand an urgent administrative, institutional and financial audit.
Basically, many criticize Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo for not working for ECCAS and its 11 member states, but rather for his country, Angola. “
He applies the Luanda policy which tries to impose its decisions on the organization. He himself behaves like a head of state by not reporting his decisions to any of our bodies
,” confides a senior official of the commission.
Spectacular turn of events
Despite the warnings, the diplomat continues the relocation project. He himself leaves his residence in the 1st arrondissement and moves to the center of Libreville. Some of his closest collaborators are sent to Malabo in anticipation of the move.
An operation pushed by Angola. On December 15, during a new ECCAS summit in Djibloho, several observers affirmed that the Angolan head of state, Joao Lourenço, made a quick visit to Equatorial Guinea, simply to vote in favor of maintaining sanctions against the Gabon. Except that, in a twist, the member states canceled the move project and maintained the headquarters in Libreville.
Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo then quickly brings back his administrative assistant and his bodyguard and installs them in his residence.
It is in this context that a new event further complicates the situation:
an intrusion into the residence
of the president of the commission, on January 17. Five people, some in fatigues and equipped with AK47s, entered his house. When questioned, Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo sent RFI around twenty photos showing some broken locks and doors, open suitcases, belongings scattered on the floor.
The next day, the affair which could have remained private becomes diplomatic. The diplomat contacted the Gabonese government in a note verbale, obtained by RFI. He denounces “
serious security incidents
”, a “
break-in
”, “
vandalism
” and “
threats
” against him. He asks Gabon to guarantee its security and diplomatic immunity.
The Angolan government summons the Gabonese charge d'affaires to express its “
deep dissatisfaction
”. On the Gabonese side, this sequence goes very badly. “
Mr Verissimo behaves as if he were an ambassador. For several months, the real estate agency asked him to return the keys, but this was never done. Since he has lived in Libreville, he has resided in at least five residences, and the terminations of contracts have often been stormy
,” confides a source close to the investigation.
Also read “Attack” on the home of the president of the ECCAS Commission in Gabon: the first revelations of the investigation
Mystery
At the end of January, Gabonese diplomacy counterattacked and revealed elements of the investigation. The intruders were in fact the owners of the house with their aides-de-camp. Mr. Verissimo had terminated his lease on November 30 and was due to vacate the residence on January 5. Officially, the Angolan was no longer a tenant.
The latter resided in an apartment in the city center. “
This new residence had not been reported to Foreign Affairs
”, which would be contrary to international conventions, according to the Gabonese authorities.
This sequence still contains its share of mystery and an ECCAS official evokes manipulation. He suspects Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo of having sent his verbal note in order to make the affair out of proportion. “
He wants to use this private incident to make people believe that there is insecurity and relaunch the question of relocation
,” estimates an internal source. “
He feels that he is no longer welcome in Gabon and is trying to be exfiltrated from the country
,” interprets an observer in Libreville.
Contacted by RFI to respond to the criticism, the Angolan did not grant an interview. Via WhatsApp, Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo nevertheless justified his management of the commission: “
You know that ECCAS did not exist before my arrival. Do you think that bad management could revive an organization that was as if dead? Isn't it the opposite? Trying to exaggerate situations to lead her back to where she was to benefit from corruption?
»
Today, at ECCAS, the atmosphere remains detestable. Angola and Gabon have still not calmed things down. Joao Lourenço remains the only head of state in the sub-region that President Oligui Nguema has not yet met. “
In my opinion, Verissimo will end up being replaced
,” analyzes an observer. The Angolan diplomat could thus serve as a fuse for the two neighboring states.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your inbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
Share :
Continue reading on the same themes:
ECCAS
Angola
Gabon
Equatorial Guinea
Brice Oligui Nguema
João Lourenço
our selection