The Union of the Gabonese People (UPG) has entered a new chapter. On Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Libreville, following a widely anticipated extraordinary congress, Marie Joselle Itsana was elected party president. This historic milestone makes her the first woman to lead this iconic political movement.
The vote was particularly tight, reflecting lively internal debates. Out of 43 ballots cast, Marie Joselle Itsana secured 23 votes, narrowly defeating her rival Roger Mouloungui, who received 20.
The challenge of unity and rebuilding
Far from ignoring the divisions that emerged during the congress, the new president chose to turn them into a unifying force. “Our congress expressed different sensibilities, sometimes divergent opinions. This proves our party is alive,” she stated, accepting her victory with humility and a sense of gravity regarding the task ahead.
For Itsana, the priority is now cohesion. Aware of the tensions that have weakened the movement in the past, she issued a strong call for an end to clan wars. Her motto is clear: turn the page on internal divisions and embark on a collective rebuilding.
Becoming a major political force again
The new president aims to restore the UPG to its former prominence on Gabon’s political scene. The roadmap is ambitious: rebuilding the party’s territorial presence across the country while championing a project focused on sovereignty, justice, transparency, and development.
An heritage to honor, a youth to mobilize
Looking to the future, Itsana also paid tribute to the party’s historical figures, notably its emblematic founding president, the late Pierre Mamboundou, and militants who fell for democracy. “We must prove worthy of the heritage we received and responsible for the one we will pass on,” she stressed.
Addressing the future, she called on the new generation of activists to actively engage in upcoming strategic choices, asserting that a new phase was beginning “today and now” for the UPG.
