Georges Rawiri

Georges Rawiri (March 10 1932 – April 9 2006 [http://english.people.com.cn/200604/10/eng20060410_257277.html "Gabonese senate speaker passes away in Paris"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), April 10, 2006.] ) was a Gabonese politician, diplomat and poet.

Rawiri was born in western Gabon. He became a prominent government official in 1967 when President Omar Bongo took office, with Bongo and Rawiri becoming close friends. Rawiri served as foreign minister from 1971 to 1974. [cite web|url=http://rulers.org/fm2.html|title=Foreign ministers E-K|work=Rulers.org|accessdate=2008-08-11] In 1997, when the Senate was established, he became its President and was re-elected in 2003, remaining Senate President until his death. He died in April 2006 at a hospital in Paris, France.

Bongo declared seven days of mourning, beginning on April 10 2006, for Rawiri. Bongo said that Rawiri had been "more than a brother, a parent" to him, describing him as an unprecedented individual in the country's history.

His daughter, Angèle Rawiri, is a well-known novelist.

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