Catherine Mba

Catherine Mba, born Moret on May 15, 1918, in Libreville, Gabon, passed away on November 10, 2025, at the age of 107. As the fourth and last wife of Léon Mba, Gabon's first president, she was a significant figure in the nation's history, embodying dignity and loyalty to her late husband's legacy. A quiet guardian of Gabon's political origins, she preferred a life away from the limelight of the presidential palace, remaining devoted to the memory of Léon Mba after his death in 1967. Her passing marks the end of an era, as she was one of the last direct witnesses to Gabon's transformation from a colonial territory into an independent nation.