Gabon: A woman appointed Prime Minister, a première

After 17 months at the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda had been named Prime Minister, in replacement of Julien Nkoghe Bekale who spent a year and a half in the position.

This is the first time ever since its independence 60 years ago that Gabon is having a woman as head of government.

This appointment comes at a time when Gabon is facing a health crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic, coupled with an economic crisis linked to the fall in the price of oil, one of the country’s main resources alongside minerals.

The woman, known for her experience in the field of finance and economy, will thus lead a government, whose main mission will be to continue and even strengthen the national response strategy to the Covid-19 health crisis, and above all to revive the economic machine whose prospects are rather gloomy.