Gabon
Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, the Republic of the Congo to the east and south, and ...
ese
politician
A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...
who was
Prime Minister of Gabon
The prime minister of Gabon () was the head of government of Gabon.
The position was first created in 1960, upon the country's independence from France, but was soon abolished by a new constitution adopted on 21 February 1961. It was, however, ...
from July 2009 to February 2012. A member of the
Gabonese Democratic Party
The Gabonese Democratic Party (, PDG) is a political party in Gabon. It was the dominant political party in Gabonese politics from 1961 until 2023, when it was deposed in a coup d'état against President Ali Bongo. It was also the sole legal ...
(PDG), he served for years as a minister in the government prior to his appointment as Prime Minister. From 2012 to 2015, he was President of the
Economic and Social Council of Gabon
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the ...
, and he has again served in the government as First Deputy Prime Minister for Health since 2015.
Background and political career
Biyoghé Mba was born in
Donguila
Donguila (also Dongila; or Douglas) is a coastal village in Estuaire Province in northwestern Gabon. It lies along the L106 road (Nzamlique-Donguila road), 16 kilometres by road south of Nzamaligué. Donguila is best known for St. Paul Catholic mi ...
, located in the
Komo-Mondah Department
Komo-Mondah is a department in the Estuaire Province in western Gabon. The capital is located in Ntoum with a population of 90,096 as of 2013.
Towns and villages
* Ntoum
Famous people
Well-known people from the Department include Paul Biyogh ...
of Gabon. After studying business administration at the
University of Rennes
The University of Rennes (French: ''Université de Rennes'') is a public university, public research university located in Rennes, Upper Brittany, France. Originally founded in 1460, the university was split into two universities in 1970: Univers ...
in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, he was Deputy Director of the Gabonese Development Bank,"Biyoghé Mba Paul", ''Gabon: Les Hommes de Pouvoir'', number 4 Africa Intelligence 5 March 2002 . then Director of Credits at the Bank, from 1977 to 1980. Afterwards he was Adviser to the President of the Republic for Commercial, Industrial, and Investment Affairs from 1980 to 1983 and Political Adviser to the President from 1983 to 1984. He was subsequently appointed as Deputy Director of the Cabinet of the President for Economic, Financial, and Administrative Affairs in 1984. After President
Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo; 30 December 1935 – 8 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who was the second president of Gabon from 1967 until Death and state funeral of Omar Bongo, his death in 2009. A member of the Gabonese De ...
visited the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
in August 1987 and met with representatives of various American companies, he selected Biyoghé Mba to head a program that would work with American companies to facilitate investment in Gabon. Biyoghé Mba continued to serve as Deputy Director of the Presidential Cabinet until he entered the government as Minister of Trade, Consumption, and the Transfer of Technology in 1989.
After winning a seat in the 1990 parliamentary election, Biyoghé Mba left the government and served as a Deputy in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...
from 1990 to 1992. He was then appointed as Minister of State Control, Parastatal Reform and Privatization in 1992 and was treasurer of President Bongo's 1993 re-election campaign.''Africa International'' (1997) He remained Minister of State Control, Parastatal Reform and Privatization until he resigned from the government on 27 February 1994, accusing the government of "authoritarian drift" in the wake of riots in
Libreville
Libreville (; ) is the capital and largest city of Gabon, located on the Gabon Estuary. Libreville occupies of the northwestern province of Estuaire Province, Estuaire. Libreville is also a port on the Gabon Estuary, near the Gulf of Guinea. A ...
and
Port-Gentil
Port-Gentil () or Mandji is the second-largest city of Gabon, and it is a leading seaport. It is the center of Gabon's petroleum and timber industries. The city is located on a delta island in the Ogooue delta. Nearby Cape Lopez is Gabon's weste ...
. He also left the PDG, founding the
Common Development Movement
The Common Movement for Development (, MCD) was a political party in Gabon, led by Paul Biyoghé Mba.
History
The party was established by Biyoghé Mba in 1994 after he left the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG).December 1996 parliamentary election. In 1997 he was elected to the newly established
Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
, and he was
Quaestor
A quaestor ( , ; ; "investigator") was a public official in ancient Rome. There were various types of quaestors, with the title used to describe greatly different offices at different times.
In the Roman Republic, quaestors were elected officia ...
of the Senate from 1997 to 1999. He returned to the government in January 1999, when he was appointed as Minister of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, Small and Medium-Sized Industries, and the Craft Industry. The MCD merged itself into the PDG in November 2002.
Mba was moved to the post of Minister of Trade, Industrial Development, and
NEPAD
The New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) is an economic development program of the African Union (AU). NEPAD was adopted by the AU at the 37th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia. ...
in 2003. He remained in that position until 7 October 2008, when he was instead appointed as Minister of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Rural Development.
Prime minister
Following the death of President
Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo Ondimba (born Albert-Bernard Bongo; 30 December 1935 – 8 June 2009) was a Gabonese politician who was the second president of Gabon from 1967 until Death and state funeral of Omar Bongo, his death in 2009. A member of the Gabonese De ...
on 8 June 2009, the PDG leadership selected his son, Defense Minister
Ali-Ben Bongo
Ali Bongo Ondimba (born Alain-Bernard Bongo; 9 February 1959) also known as Ali Ben Bongo is a Gabonese former politician and dictator who was the third president of Gabon from 2009 until he was deposed in a coup in 2023. A member of the Gabone ...
Jean Eyeghe Ndong
Jean may refer to:
People
* Jean (female given name)
* Jean (male given name)
* Jean (surname)
Fictional characters
* Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character
* Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations
* Jean ...
, who had unsuccessfully sought the nomination, then resigned as Prime Minister on 17 July 2009 and announced he would stand as an independent candidate. Later on the same day, interim president
Rose Francine Rogombé
Rose Francine Rogombé (née Etomba; 20 September 1942 – 10 April 2015) was a Gabonese politician who was acting president of Gabon from June to October 2009, following the death of long-time President Omar Bongo. She constitutionally succeede ...
appointed Biyoghé Mba to succeed Eyeghe Ndong as Prime Minister. He was expected to take "the necessary time to hold consultations before forming his government".
The composition of Biyoghé Mba's government was announced on the evening of 22 July. It was composed of 44 members, slightly smaller than the previous government under Eyeghe Ndong. Six ministers were dismissed, including two party leaders (
Paul M'ba Abessole
Paul Mba Abessole (born October 9, 1939 , ''Afrique Express'', number 244, February 6, 2002 ...
André Mba Obame
André Mba Obame (15 June 1957"Mba Obame André", ''Gabon: Les hommes de pouvoir'', number 4Africa Intelligence 5 March 2002 . – 12 April 2015) was a Gabonese politician. After serving as an adviser to President Omar Bongo in the 1980s, he wa ...
). Oyé Mba and Mba Obame were both PDG members who had chosen to run as independents after Ali-Ben Bongo was selected as the PDG candidate, while Kombila had chosen to support the opposition candidate
Pierre Mamboundou
Pierre Mamboundou (6 November 1946 – 15 October 2011) was a Gabonese politician. He was President of the Union of the Gabonese People (UPG), an opposition party in Gabon, from 1989 to 2011.
ACCT career and 1989 events
Mamboundou was born in ...
.
Bongo won the election with a plurality of the vote according to official results, although the opposition alleged fraud; following a recount by the Constitutional Court, he was sworn in as President on 16 October 2009. Later in the day, he announced the reappointment of Biyoghé Mba as Prime Minister; he made the announcement personally "to underline the importance of this moment". According to Bongo, Biyoghé Mba had the necessary experience and managerial competence "to lead us through the next stage", and he said work would start "immediately". The composition of his new government was announced on 17 October; it was reduced to only 30 ministers, thereby fulfilling Bongo's campaign promise to reduce the size of the government and thereby reduce expenses. The government was also mostly composed of new faces, including many technocrats, although a few key ministers, such as Paul Toungui (Foreign Minister),
Jean-François Ndongou
Jean-François Ndongou (born 1960) is a Gabonese politician. He is a former interior minister.
Following the 2023 Gabonese coup d'état, Ndongou was appointed president of the National Assembly of Gabon.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ndongou, J ...
(Interior Minister), and Laure Olga Gondjout (Communications Minister), retained their posts.
Following the December 2011 parliamentary election, Biyoghé Mba submitted his resignation in February 2012. President Bongo appointed
to succeed him on 27 February 2012. In late June 2012, Biyoghé Mba was appointed to a five-year term as President of the Economic and Social Council, a state institution tasked with providing advice on economic, social, and cultural matters. He was again appointed to the government as First Deputy Prime Minister for Health, Social Welfare and National Solidarity on 11 September 2015."Gabon opposition leader refuses post after cabinet reshuffle" Reuters, 12 September 2015. His return to the government was viewed as a sign that Bongo wanted to appease senior figures in the PDG who were prominent under Bongo's father but had generally lost clout after Ali Bongo's succession, and it was suggested that Bongo hoped Biyoghé Mba's influence in
Estuaire Province
Estuaire is the most populous of Gabon's nine provinces. It covers an area of 20,740 km. The provincial capital is Akanda, but the largest city is Libreville, Gabon's national capital. The province is named for the Gabon Estuary, which li ...