Gabon's new leader appoints two vice presidents as part of government
Gabon's new president, Brice Oligui Nguema, has appointed two vice presidents to help govern the oil-rich Central African nation, just two days after taking the oath of office.
Brice Oligui Nguema appointed two vice presidents after taking office in Gabon.
Seraphin Moundounga named Vice President of the Republic, while Alexandre Barro Chambrier will serve as Vice President of Government.
Moundounga will assist Nguema on sovereign matters and serve as interim president in his absence.
Gabon's new president, Brice Oligui Nguema, has appointed two vice presidents to help govern the oil-rich Central African nation, just two days after taking the oath of office.
The appointments came after the dissolution of former Prime Minister Raymond Ndong Sima's cabinet, Bloomberg reported.
According to a statement from the presidency posted on Facebook, Seraphin Moundounga has been named Vice President of the Republic. At the same time, Alexandre Barro Chambrier will serve as Vice President of Government.
Moundounga, who previously served as deputy prime minister under ousted President Ali Bongo, will assist Nguema on sovereign matters and serve as interim president in his absence, which aligns with the constitution.
Chambrier, a former mines minister in Sima's cabinet, will be responsible for implementing government policies and ensuring policy coherence.
Nguema, a former army general, secured a decisive victory in the April 2025 elections, the first held since he deposed Bongo in an August 2023 military coup.
Nguema's electoral win marks the beginning of a seven-year term under Gabon's new constitution, ratified in November 2024, which allows for a single renewal.
On the campaign trail, Nguema vowed to shift Gabon away from its heavy reliance on oil by strengthening agriculture, industry, and tourism, sectors seen as key to addressing the country's high poverty rate.
Despite pledging a break from the Bongo era, which was dogged by accusations of elite capture of Gabon's oil wealth, Nguema's long-standing ties to the former regime have raised questions about the depth of his promised reforms.
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