How did French missionaries help expand French influence in Gabon?

In 1844, France introduced Roman Catholic missionaries to Gabon specifically to promote French cultural influence among the Mpongwe and neighboring peoples.12

Later, during the interwar period, schools operated by the Brothers of Saint-Gabriel in Libreville and Lambaréné played a significant role in shaping the country's future leadership. These institutions produced a pro-French but anticolonialist elite, many of whom went on to hold political office during the Fourth French Republic when Gabon served as an overseas territory.12