Cote d'Ivoire's opposition leaders, disappointed by President Laurent Gbagbo's decision not to reinstate three of their ministers, held talks on Friday with Gabon leader Omar Bongo, who is trying to help the feuding Ivorian sides out of their political impasse. Bongo, one of Africa's longest-serving presidents, is trying to pave the way for a regional summit to resolve the 22-month crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, which has been split into a rebel-held north and a government-controlled south since civil war broke out in September 2002.

Marie-Julie Nse Ndzime has made a success of her printing company located in Gabon's capital, Libreville - no thanks to anyone else. "I never received a request for bids nor was lent any money by the banks," she told IPS. "I only got a leg up by hard work and networking." Only 10 percent of Gabonese businesswomen manage companies in the country. Many face an uphill struggle in trying to get fair treatment from their male counterparts, who have tended to judge them on their physical appearance alone.

As most people who've seen them will attest, Gabon's leatherback turtles are a majestic sight. "The leatherback turtles of Gabon are the largest sea turtles in the world. They can be seen on the open sea, and they can grow as long as three metres and weigh 850 kilogrammes,” says Guy Philippe Sounguet, President of Adventures Without Borders (ASF) - a non-governmental organisation. The females lay about 120 eggs on the beach during the breeding season, which lasts from January to March. Only half of these eggs hatch, and up to 45 percent of the hatchlings are eaten by predators before they make it to the relative safety of the sea. Turtles have managed to survive this natural rate of attrition for years. But, human intervention is now upping the odds against them substantially.