History has been rewritten in the Central Africa following the appointment of Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda as Prime Minister In Gabon – The first woman to attain the position.

Gabon President Ali Bongo on Thursday July 16, promoted Defence Minister, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, 56, to Prime Minister. She takes over from Julien Nkoghe Bekale who was appointed premier in January 2019.

Her appointment was announced by the Secretary-General of the Presidency, Jean-Yves Teal. According to the statement, her mission will include “ensuring (Gabon’s) economic relaunch and necessary social support in the light of the world crisis linked to COVID-19”.

Ossouka Raponda served as Defence Minister since February 2019 and is the sixth Prime Minister appointed since Bongo succeeded his father in 2009. 

An Economist by training with speciality in Public Finance from the Gabonese Institute of Economy, she also served as Budget Minister in 2012 before being elected Mayor of the capital Libreville in 2014, becoming the first woman to hold that position. 

She also served as Director-General of the Economy as well as Deputy Director-General, the Housing Bank of Gabon.