Gabon's Opposition Leader, Sima Appointed As Prime Minister

Raymond Ndong Sima

The Gabon junta has appointed an opposition leader, Raymond Ndong Sima, as the prime minister of its transitional government.

Gabon’s new strongman, General Brice Oligui Nguema, who was sworn in on Monday, announced the development on state TV on Thursday.

Recall that Nguema, while delivering his inaugural speech on Monday promised to hold “free, transparent and credible elections” to restore civilian rule but did not give a timeframe. He also promised economic reforms.

Sima, a 68-year-old economist, was prime minister of the overthrown president of Ali Bongo from 2012 to 2014. But he resigned and ran against Bongo as an opposition in 2016, and he is also part of the opposition coalition this year.

Bongo, was overthrown by the military junta led by Nguema, who is now a transitional president of the central African nation.

Central African regional bloc, ECCAS, suspended Gabon on Monday but sent the president of the Central African Republic, Faustin-Archange Touadéra, as its representative to meet Nguema.

Recount that the military government on Wednesday announced the freedom of Bongo, who had been under house arrest since the coup.

The military said he was free from house arrest now and could go into exile.