Sylvestre Ratanga
Encyclopedia
Sylvestre Augustin Ratanga (born 1945?) is a Gabon
ese politician and diplomat. He served as Gabon's Ambassador to Germany
and was later the Secretary-General of the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
(UGDD), an opposition party. Abandoning the UGDD, he then served in the government as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation from January 2009 to October 2009, and he has been Chairman of the Board of the Gabonese Refining Company (Société gabonaise de raffinage, SOGARA) since October 2009.
Multilateral Cooperation Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from March 1976 to February 1978. Subsequently he was Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later he was Gabon's Ambassador to Germany
. Shortly after Zacharie Myboto
founded the UGDD, Ratanga joined the new party as its Vice-President in June 2005. He later became the UGDD's Permanent Secretary-General and additionally served as its National Secretary for Foreign Relations. At the time of the November 2005 presidential election
, he was the coordinator of Myboto's campaign.
Ratanga briefly went on hunger strike
in December 2005 to protest his inability to obtain a passport
from the government, which would enable him to visit his family living abroad. The Directorate-General of Emigration and Immigration promptly issued him an ordinary passport, and although he still did not receive a diplomatic passport from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the issuing of an ordinary passport was sufficient for him to end his hunger strike.
President Omar Bongo
appointed Ratanga, who was still serving as the Secretary-General of the UGDD, to the government as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation on 14 January 2009. Ratanga accepted the post, although the UGDD had decided not to participate in the government. The UGDD immediately expelled Ratanga from the party, along with Paul Boundoukou-Latha
, another UGDD member who had taken a lesser post in the government. Deriding the appointments, the UGDD described Ratanga's portfolio as "a hot potato that he was passed in the hope that it burns [his] fingers".
Ratanga's tasks as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation included overseeing the construction of an airport in Libreville
, a reform of legal regulations pertaining to the sector, and the improvement of old airports and weather stations. Speaking at a ceremony for the installation of new aviation and transport officials on 6 February 2009, Ratanga stressed the importance of innovation and performance.
Omar Bongo died in June 2009 and his son Ali Bongo took office as President in October 2009, after winning a disputed presidential election
. As President, Ali Bongo dismissed Ratanga from the government on 17 October and then appointed him as Chairman of the Board of SOGARA on 19 October 2009. That move was part of a major reshuffling of the state administration. At SOGARA, he and Director-General Reteno Ndiaye were faced with the task of improving the company's very difficult financial situation. Ratanga and Ndiaye met with Julien Nkoghe Bekale, the Minister of Oil, on 29 October 2009 to discuss their plan for repairing SOGARA's finances.
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
ese politician and diplomat. He served as Gabon's Ambassador to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and was later the Secretary-General of the Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development
The Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development is an political party in Gabon...
(UGDD), an opposition party. Abandoning the UGDD, he then served in the government as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation from January 2009 to October 2009, and he has been Chairman of the Board of the Gabonese Refining Company (Société gabonaise de raffinage, SOGARA) since October 2009.
Political career
Ratanga was Director for International Organizations andMultilateral Cooperation Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from March 1976 to February 1978. Subsequently he was Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and later he was Gabon's Ambassador to Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Shortly after Zacharie Myboto
Zacharie Myboto
Zacharie Myboto is a Gabonese politician and President of the National Union , an opposition party. He was the Administrative Secretary of the Gabonese Democratic Party from 1972 to 1990 and served in the government from 1978 to 2001...
founded the UGDD, Ratanga joined the new party as its Vice-President in June 2005. He later became the UGDD's Permanent Secretary-General and additionally served as its National Secretary for Foreign Relations. At the time of the November 2005 presidential election
Gabonese presidential election, 2005
Gabon held a presidential election on 27 November 2005. Incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba, in power since 1967 , sought another seven-year term against four other candidates. According to an announcement of results by the country's interior minister, Bongo won the election with 79.2% of the vote...
, he was the coordinator of Myboto's campaign.
Ratanga briefly went on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
in December 2005 to protest his inability to obtain a passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
from the government, which would enable him to visit his family living abroad. The Directorate-General of Emigration and Immigration promptly issued him an ordinary passport, and although he still did not receive a diplomatic passport from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the issuing of an ordinary passport was sufficient for him to end his hunger strike.
President Omar Bongo
Omar Bongo
El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba , born as Albert-Bernard Bongo, was a Gabonese politician who was President of Gabon for 42 years from 1967 until his death in office in 2009....
appointed Ratanga, who was still serving as the Secretary-General of the UGDD, to the government as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation on 14 January 2009. Ratanga accepted the post, although the UGDD had decided not to participate in the government. The UGDD immediately expelled Ratanga from the party, along with Paul Boundoukou-Latha
Paul Boundoukou-Latha
Paul Bunduku-Latha is a Gabonese politician, diplomat and author. He was Gabon's Ambassador to Morocco ,the United States and Mexico during the 1990s and was later its Ambassador to Germany...
, another UGDD member who had taken a lesser post in the government. Deriding the appointments, the UGDD described Ratanga's portfolio as "a hot potato that he was passed in the hope that it burns [his] fingers".
Ratanga's tasks as Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation included overseeing the construction of an airport in Libreville
Libreville
Libreville is the capital and largest city of Gabon, in west central Africa. The city is a port on the Komo River, near the Gulf of Guinea, and a trade center for a timber region. As of 2005, it has a population of 578,156.- History :...
, a reform of legal regulations pertaining to the sector, and the improvement of old airports and weather stations. Speaking at a ceremony for the installation of new aviation and transport officials on 6 February 2009, Ratanga stressed the importance of innovation and performance.
Omar Bongo died in June 2009 and his son Ali Bongo took office as President in October 2009, after winning a disputed presidential election
Gabonese presidential election, 2009
A presidential election was held in Gabon on 30 August 2009 after the incumbent President Omar Bongo Ondimba died on 8 June 2009. While the constitution stated that Interim President Rose Francine Rogombé should organise elections within 30 to 45 days, the Constitutional Court accepted the...
. As President, Ali Bongo dismissed Ratanga from the government on 17 October and then appointed him as Chairman of the Board of SOGARA on 19 October 2009. That move was part of a major reshuffling of the state administration. At SOGARA, he and Director-General Reteno Ndiaye were faced with the task of improving the company's very difficult financial situation. Ratanga and Ndiaye met with Julien Nkoghe Bekale, the Minister of Oil, on 29 October 2009 to discuss their plan for repairing SOGARA's finances.