Raymond Ndong Sima
{{Short description|Prime Minister of Gabon (2012–2014, 2023–2025)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Raymond Ndong Sima
|image = Raymond Ndong Sima 2024.jpg
|caption = Ndong Sima in 2024
|order = 8th
|office = Prime Minister of Gabon
|president = Brice Oligui Nguema
|term_label = Acting
|term_start = 7 September 2023
|term_end = 4 May 2025
|predecessor = Alain Claude Bilie By Nze
|successor = Alexandre Barro Chambrier (Vice President of the Government)
|president1 = Ali Bongo Ondimba
|term_start1 = 27 February 2012
|term_end1 = 27 January 2014
|predecessor1 = Paul Biyoghé Mba
|successor1 = Daniel Ona Ondo
|office2 = Member of the National Assembly of Gabon
|term_start2 = 2012
|term_end2 = 28 April 2018
|predecessor2 =
|successor2 =
|constituency2 = Kyé, Woleu-Ntem Province
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1955|1|23|df=y}}
|birth_place = Oyem, French Equatorial Africa {{small|(now Gabon)}}
|death_date =
|death_place =
|party = PDG (until 2015)
|alma_mater = {{unbulleted list|Paris 13 University|Paris Dauphine University}}
}}
Raymond Ndong Sima (born 23 January 1955[http://gaboneco.com/show_article.php?IDActu=24787 "Raymond Ndong Sima : un homme d'action"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301214000/http://gaboneco.com/show_article.php?IDActu=24787 |date=2012-03-01 }}, GabonEco, 29 February 2012 {{in lang|fr}}.) is a Gabonese politician who served as transitional Prime Minister of Gabon from September 2023 to May 2025. He was previously prime minister from February 2012 to January 2014.
Career
Ndong Sima was born in Oyem, located in the north of Gabon, and studied in France. He was appointed to the cabinet of the Minister of Planning and the Economy in 1986, where he was assigned responsibility for structural adjustment and relations with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. In 1992, he was appointed as Director-General of the Economy; he remained in that post, while simultaneously retaining responsibility for structural adjustment, until 1994. He then worked as Director-General of Hévégab, a state-owned rubber company, from 1994 to 1998.Gérald Mounomby, [http://www.gaboneco.com/show_article.php?IDActu=7474 "Les deux vies de Raymond Ndong Sima"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308013035/http://gaboneco.com/show_article.php?IDActu=7474 |date=2012-03-08 }}, Business Gabon, 8 May 2008 {{in lang|fr}}.
Ndong Sima was appointed to the government as Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, and Rural Development on 17 October 2009.[http://gaboneco.com/show_article.php?IDActu=15383 "Gabon : Le premier gouvernement du septennat d’Ali Bongo"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120302121108/http://gaboneco.com/show_article.php?IDActu=15383 |date=2012-03-02 }}, GabonEco, 17 October 2009 {{in lang|fr}}.Yorick Kombila Manfoumby, [http://fr.allafrica.com/stories/200910190602.html "Gabon: « Le ministère de l'Agriculture est un département sectoriel qui contribue significativement à la croissance », Raymond Ndong Sima"], Gabonews, 18 October 2009 {{in lang|fr}}.
In the December 2011 parliamentary election, in which the ruling Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG) won an overwhelming majority of seats, Ndong Sima was elected to the National Assembly as a candidate in Kyé, located in Woleu-Ntem Province.Georges Dougueli, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/Article/JA2669p014-015.xml0/gabon-premier-ministre-marc-ona-essangui-ugddgabon-ndong-sima-un-premier-ministre-qu-on-n-attendait-pas.html "Gabon : Ndong Sima, un Premier ministre qu'on n'attendait pas"], Jeune Afrique, 7 March 2012 {{in lang|fr}}.
Prime Minister Paul Biyoghe Mba resigned on 13 February 2012. President Ali Bongo then appointed Ndong Sima as prime minister on 27 February 2012. His appointment was considered noteworthy in that traditionally the post of Prime Minister was given to an ethnic Fang from Estuaire Province, while Ndong Sima was from Woleu-Ntem Province in the north—although he was also a Fang.[https://archive.today/20121206004207/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5g4dpXCwzN03KEtyow1nlvPIE-GbQ?docId=CNG.525fe8032594b554ab02e87d42862fef.981 "Gabon: Ali Bongo nomme un natif du nord, Ndong Sima, premier ministre"], Agence France-Presse, 27 February 2012 {{in lang|fr}}. Prior to his appointment, Ndong Sima had not been considered a particularly important figure on the political scene.
Ndong Sima served as prime minister for nearly two years. Following local elections in December 2013, President Bongo appointed Daniel Ona Ondo to replace Ndong Sima on 24 January 2014.[https://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h8gtfTvSyflzrTbhncWh5kJhOxEA?docId=fab1cf23-55b7-49fc-a793-1de1f7b14abd "Gabon's president names new PM after local elections"]{{dead link|date=June 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Agence France-Presse, 24 January 2014 {{in lang|fr}}. Ona Ondo took office at a handover ceremony with Ndong Sima on 27 January.[http://www.gabonews.com/Gabonews/actualites/politique/daniel-ona-ondo-a-pris-ses-fonction "Daniel Ona Ondo a pris ses fonction"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140129012533/http://www.gabonews.com/Gabonews/actualites/politique/daniel-ona-ondo-a-pris-ses-fonction |date=2014-01-29 }}, Gabonews, 27 January 2014 {{in lang|fr}}.
In July 2015, Ndong Sima quit the PDG, complaining that the party was not open to criticism and different points of view. He also criticized the government's handling of finances since he left office.[http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20150703-gabon-raymond-ndong-sima-claque-porte-parti-pouvoir "Gabon: Raymond Ndong Sima claque la porte du parti au pouvoir"], Radio France Internationale, 3 July 2015 {{in lang|fr}}. PDG Secretary-General Faustin Boukoubi responded that Ndong Sima was an opportunist and insisted that the PDG was internally democratic.[http://www.rfi.fr/afrique/20150704-gabon-le-parti-ali-bongo-recuse-manque-democratie-interne-pdg-ndong-sima-boukoubi "Gabon: le parti d’Ali Bongo récuse un manque de démocratie interne"], Radio France Internationale, 4 July 2015 {{in lang|fr}}.
Following his resignation, Ndong Sima ran twice for president against Bongo in 2016 and 2023 but lost, obtaining less than 0.5% of the vote each time. Following the 2023 Gabonese coup d'état, he was reappointed by interim president Brice Oligui Nguema to become prime minister of a transition government on 7 September.{{Cite news |date=7 September 2023 |title=Gabon military government appoints former opposition leader as interim PM |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/7/gabon-military-government-appoints-former-opposition-leader-as-interim-pm |access-date=8 September 2023 |publisher=Aljazeera |language=en |archive-date=7 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907220340/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/7/gabon-military-government-appoints-former-opposition-leader-as-interim-pm |url-status=live }}https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20230907-gabon-raymond-ndong-sima-opposant-%C3%A0-ali-bongo-nomm%C3%A9-premier-ministre-de-transitionhttps://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20230909-gabon-le-premier-ministre-de-la-transition-forme-un-gouvernement-de-26-membres The PDG is a member party of his second government.https://fr.africanews.com/2023/09/10/gabon-raymond-ndong-sima-designe-son-gouvernement-de-transition//https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20230909-gabon-le-premier-ministre-de-la-transition-forme-un-gouvernement-de-26-membres On 4 May 2025, he resigned from office, which marked the end of the transitional government.{{cite web |title=Gabon : démission du Premier ministre |url=https://agpgabon.ga/2025/05/04/gabon-demission-du-premier-ministre/ |website=Agence Gabonaise de Presse |access-date=4 May 2025 |language=fr |date=4 May 2025}}
References
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{{s-bef|before=Paul Biyoghé Mba}}
{{s-ttl|title=Prime Minister of Gabon|years=2012–2014}}
{{s-aft|after=Daniel Ona Ondo}}
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{{s-bef|before=Alain Claude Bilie By Nze}}
{{s-ttl|title=Prime Minister of Gabon|years=2023–2025}}
{{s-non|reason=Office abolished}}
{{s-end}}
{{GabonPMs}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sima, Raymond Ndong}}
Category:21st-century Gabonese people
Category:Agriculture ministers of Gabon
Category:Gabonese Democratic Party politicians