Léon M'ba
He was a member of the Fang people ethnic group. He was prime minister from May 21, 1957 to February 21, 1961 and became president upon independence from France on August 17, 1960. He was briefly toppled by a military coup d'etat in February 1964, and Jean-Hilaire Aubame was installed as president, but was restored within days through French intervention.