Anguiley Ré-Dowé

Anguiley Ré-Dowé, known as King Louis, was born circa 1795 on the northern shore of the Gabon Estuary. Succeeding his father as sovereign of the Quaben Mpongwe clans, King Louis turned his settlement into a key coastal merchant crossroads.

In March 1842, King Louis negotiated commercial maritime agreements with French naval lieutenant Bouët-Willaumez, establishing diplomatic relations while fiercely preserving indigenous commercial rights. The historic district of Louis in northern Libreville preserves his name and ancestral domain.