The Union du Peuple Gabonais (UPG) enters a new chapter. On Thursday, June 25, 2026, in Libreville, after a highly anticipated extraordinary congress, Marie Joselle Itsana was elected party president. This milestone makes her the first woman ever to lead this emblematic political group.

The vote was extremely tight, reflecting lively internal debates. Out of 43 ballots cast, Marie Joselle Itsana received 23 votes, narrowly defeating her rival Roger Mouloungui, who garnered 20.

The challenge of unity and rebuilding

Far from denying the divisions that marked the congress, the new president chose to turn them into a force for unity. “Our congress expressed different sensitivities, sometimes divergent opinions. This shows our party is alive,” she declared, accepting her victory with humility tinged with gravity given the scale of the task.

For Marie Joselle Itsana, the priority now is cohesion. Aware of the tensions that have weakened the movement in the past, she issued a strong call to end clan wars. Her motto is clear: turn the page on internal divisions and launch a collective reconstruction.

Regaining a major political force

The new president aims to restore the UPG to the prominent status it once held in Gabon’s political landscape. The roadmap is ambitious: rebuild the party’s territorial presence across the country while championing a project focused on sovereignty, justice, transparency, and development.

Honoring a legacy, mobilizing youth

While looking ahead, Marie Joselle Itsana paid tribute to the party’s historical figures, starting with its iconic founder, 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.

Turning to the future, she invited the new generation of activists to engage actively in upcoming strategic decisions, affirming that a new phase began “today and now” for the UPG.