Casimir Oyé-Mba

Casimir Marie Ange Oyé-Mba (20 April 1942 – 16 September 2021) was a Gabonese politician. After serving as Governor of the Bank of Central African States (BEAC) from 1978 to 1990, Oyé-Mba was Prime Minister of Gabon from 3 May 1990 to 2 November 1994. Subsequently, he remained in the government as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1994 to 1999, Minister of State for Planning from 1999 to 2007, and Minister of State for Mines and Oil from 2007 to 2009.





== Early life and financial career ==

A member of the Fang ethnic group, Casimir Oyé-Mba was born in Nzamaligué, located in the Komo-Mondah Department of Estuaire Province.

After completing his secondary education (baccalauréat) in Gabon, Oyé-Mba went to France for higher education. He first completed a bachelor's degree (licence) in Law and Political Science at the University of Rennes. Next, he obtained a Diploma of Specialized Studies (DESS) at the Faculty of Law of Paris, and defended his doctorate thesis at the same institution in 1969. His thesis topic was the legal problems posed by the exploitation of subsoil in Gabon. He finished his studies by taking a degree in finance at the Center for Economic and Banking Studies (CEFEB), the school of the French Development Agency.

Oyé-Mba joined the Central Bank of the States of Equatorial Africa and Cameroon (BCEAEC) in January 1968; in January 1970, he became deputy director of its agency in Libreville, Gabon, and in April 1970 he became director of the Libreville agency.