Ms. Catherina Mba, the oldest known living resident in Gabon, sadly passed away on 10 November 2025 at the claimed age of 107.

She claimed to be born on 15 May 1918.

She was the former first lady of Gabon.

https://gabon24.tv/gabon-deces-de-catherine-mba-a-107-ans/

Gabon: Catherine Mba dies at 107

Gabon has just lost one of its most prominent figures. Catherine Mba, the last wife of Léon Mba, the first president of the Gabonese Republic, passed away on the night of Sunday, November 9, to Monday, November 10, 2025, at the age of 107. Born on May 15, 1918, in Libreville, this woman of great wisdom belonged to the Omyènè ethnic group, of the Agwekonwa-Abandja clan.

The only child of Elisabeth Nguessono, Catherine Mba, née Moret, leaves behind the memory of a life spanning a century of history, marked by dignity, faith, and discretion. A mother of four, she was, beyond her role as wife, a silent witness to the early days of the Gabonese Republic and the foundations laid by the man still known as the Father of the Nation.

In August 2024, on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of independence, she was awarded the Grand Cross of the Gabonese National Order of Merit by Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, then President of the Transition.

This gesture, imbued with emotion and gratitude, deeply resonated, as it reflected the Head of State's desire to pay tribute to the memory of the builders of the Republic. At 107 years old, Catherine Mba represented far more than a witness to the past: she embodied continuity, memory, and the passing on of legacy.

Her passing marks the end of a generation whose values ​​of loyalty, humility, and service to the nation shaped Gabonese identity. With her passing, a part of historical Gabon is lost, the part that witnessed the birth of the Republic and accompanied its first steps.

As the country bows before her memory, the passing of Catherine Mba reminds everyone of the importance of cultivating gratitude and remembrance towards those who wrote the first pages of our shared history.

Rest in peace.