Transitional president Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema has appointed Séraphin Moundounga as Vice President of the Republic by presidential decree issued on May 5, 2025. He succeeds Joseph Owondault Berre, who had held the position since the beginning of the political transition.
Born on February 29, 1964, in Tchibanga, Nyanga Province, Moundounga is a well-known figure on Gabon’s political scene. A former member of parliament and National Assembly quaestor, he first joined the government in 2010.
He successively headed the ministries of National Education, Higher Education, and Scientific Research (2010–2014), and later served as Minister of Justice and Second Deputy Prime Minister (2014–2016). His political trajectory took a dramatic turn in September 2016 when he resigned from the government and left the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) in protest over the disputed re-election of Ali Bongo Ondimba.
His departure led to a seven-year exile in France. He returned to Gabon following the fall of the Bongo regime in October 2023 and was appointed President of the Transitional Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), a role he held until his recent appointment as Vice President.