Building momentum in Gabon

Chinese investment helping to bring new infrastructure to Libreville

On the outskirts of Libreville, Gabon, where women sell fresh fruit beneath palm trees and beach umbrellas, time seems to stand still.

Locals carrying baskets and boxes on their heads amble along in the stifling afternoon heat that blankets the Gabonese capital. Traffic slows to a crawl on narrow streets hemmed in by dilapidated buildings whose architecture reflects the country's French colonial history.