The President of the Transition, General Brice Oligui Nguema, has carried out a reshuffle of the government led by Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima, just months before the presidential election, which is scheduled to take place no later than August.
According to a decree read on national television by the Secretary-General of the Gabonese Presidency, new figures have made their first entry into the government, including former opposition member Séraphin Davin Akure, who has been appointed Minister of Energy and government spokesperson.
Marc Dumba has been named Minister of Economy and State Holdings, while General Flavien Nzengi Nzoundou has been designated Minister of State in charge of Public Works. The Ministry of Environment and Climate is now headed by Maïs Mwissi, while Camélia Tountoum-Leclerc has been elevated to the rank of Minister of State.
Meanwhile, the Defense portfolio remains under the leadership of General Brigitte Onkanoa, the Interior Ministry continues to be overseen by Hermann Immongaultet, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Gabonese Abroad has been entrusted to Régis Onanga Ndiaye.
The new government consists of 36 members, including eleven women, compared to 31 in the previous cabinet.
This reshuffle comes in a context marked by the adoption of a new Constitution and the beginning of electoral code reforms in preparation for the presidential election, the final step in the transition process.
In early January, the President of the Transition, General Brice Oligui Nguema, announced that the presidential election would take place in 2025 in accordance with the transition timeline, emphasizing that this schedule would be strictly adhered to.
