The president of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, appointed the country's first woman prime minister, Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda, on Thursday.

Raponda was promoted from her role as defence minister and takes over from Julien Nkoghe Bekale, who has held the role since January 2019. Bekale stepped down from his role earlier in the day.

This is not the first time that she has shaken up Gabonese politics. After serving as budget minister eight years ago, she became the first woman to be elected mayor of the capital Libreville in 2014 as a candidate for Bongo's Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG). Raponda had served as defence minister since February 2019.

Tricky road ahead

Raponda will now form a new government while facing two further challenges: dealing with falling oil production and prices and tackling the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, the president said Raponda's mission would include "ensuring [Gabon's] economic relaunch and necessary social support in the light of the world crisis linked to COVID-19."

There have been more than 6,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the central African country, along with a few dozen reported deaths.

Raponda is the sixth prime minister to serve under Ondimba after he succeeded his father in 2009.

This article went live on July seventeenth, two thousand twenty, at zero minutes past one in the afternoon.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.