On September 7th, Raymond Ndong Sima, a former opponent of Ali Bongo Ondimba, was appointed as the Prime Minister of the transition in Gabon. He had previously held this position in 2012 and 2013.
The transitional president of Gabon, General Brice Oligui Nguema, appointed Raymond Ndong Sima as the Prime Minister of the transition on Thursday, September 7th. Ndong Sima is an economist and a vocal opponent of President Ali Bongo, who was ousted by the military a week ago. This appointment was made through a decree broadcast on state television. Raymond Ndong Sima, aged 68, had served as Prime Minister under Ali Bongo from 2012 to 2014 but had distanced himself from the government, regularly accusing it of poor governance. He even ran against the President in the presidential elections of 2016 and 2023.
General Oligui, who led the coup on August 30th shortly after Ali Bongo was declared the winner in a disputed election, was sworn in as the president of a transitional period on Monday. The duration of this transitional period has not been specified, and at its conclusion, he has promised “free elections.” On Monday, he also announced the formation of a transitional government comprising individuals from various political backgrounds.
