Jean Ping

Jean Ping (born November 24, 1942 [http://www.un.org/ga/president/59/office/president.html UN profile page] .] [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN05013jeanpeinohp0 "Jean Ping Ministre des Affaires étrangères, de la Coopération et de la Francophonie"] , Jeuneafrique.com, January 5, 2003 fr icon.] [http://www.gabonews.ga/actualite/actualites_2007.php?Article=1778 "Gabon: Biographie du nouveau président de la Commission de l’Union Africaine, Jean Ping"] , Gabonews, February 2, 2008 fr icon.] ) is a Gabonese diplomat and politician who is currently the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union. [http://www.afrik.com/article13524.html "Les réactions à l’élection de Jean Ping comme président de la Commission de l’UA"] , Panapress (afrik.com), February 1, 2008 fr icon.] He was previously the Foreign Minister of Gabon from 1999 to 2008.

Ping was born in Omboué, Etimbwé Department, Ogooué-Maritime Province. In 1972, he began working at UNESCO in its Sector for External Relations and Cooperation as an international civil servant. In 1978, he became advisor to the Gabonese embassy in France, and he subsequently became Gabon's Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, in which position he served until 1984. He became Director of the Civil Cabinet of the President of Gabon, Omar Bongo, in 1984, serving in that position until 1990.

On February 26 1990, Ping became Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, Tourism and Recreation, and Reform of the Parastatal Sector, in charge of relations with Parliament, as well as Government Spokesman. He served in that position for two months before becoming Minister of Mines, Energy, and Hydraulic Resources on April 29 1990. He remained in the latter position until June 1991, then served as Minister of Mines, Energy, and Hydraulic Resources for a second time from August 28 1992 to March 24 1994. He was then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and La Francophonie from March 25 1994 to October 29 1994, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Finance, the Economy, the Budget, and Privatisation from October 30 1994 to January 25 1997, and Minister of Planning, the Environment and Tourism from January 27 1997 until he was appointed as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, La Francophonie, and Regional Integration on January 25 1999. He remained Foreign Minister for nine years.

He was elected to the National Assembly from Omboué in the December 1996 parliamentary election, the December 2001 parliamentary election, and the December 2006 parliamentary election. [ [http://www.cooperation.refer.ga/spip.php?article415 "INFOS SUR M. Jean PING , Vice Premier Ministre en Charge des Affaires étrangères , de la coopération, de la Francophonie et de l’intégration Régionale"] , cooperation.refer.ga fr icon.]

He was chosen to be President of the fifty-ninth session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2004. [ [http://www.un.org/ga/59/presskit/presidents.htm List of presidents of the General Assembly] .]

The son of a Chinese trader and a Gabonese mother, Ping was one of President Bongo's closest and longest-serving ministers and is considered one of the most powerful figures in Gabon. His half-Chinese parentage is one reason, however, why he is never likely to become Gabonese president after Bongo leaves power.Fact|date=February 2008

Ping was one of the key figures who helped arrange the visit to Gabon in 2004 of Chinese President Hu Jintao, who used the capital Libreville as the platform for making a land-mark speech promising a new era of engagement with Africa, "without political strings."

Ping was formerly married to Pascaline Bongo Ondimba, President Bongo's daughter who is on the board of directors of several companies including the oil company Total Gabon. Pascaline is now married to Gabonese Oil Minister Paul Toungui.

In the government named on January 25 2007, Ping, previously a Minister of State, was promoted to the rank of Deputy Prime Minister while remaining in charge of foreign affairs. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/fluxafp/fil_info.asp?art_cle=34457 "Gabon: formation d'un gouvernement quasiment inchangé après les législatives"] , AFP ("Jeuneafrique.com"), January 26, 2007 fr icon.] [ [http://www.legabon.org/download/nouveaugouvernementgabonaisau24012007.pdf List of members of the government of January 25, 2007] , legabon.org fr icon.]

On December 7 2007, Gabon's Ambassador to Cameroon, Michel Mandougoua, announced that Ping would seek to succeed Alpha Oumar Konaré as Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union in early 2008. [ [http://www.panapress.com/archive.asp?code=fre&dte=07/12/2007 "Annonce de la candidature de Jean Ping à la présidence de l'UA"] , Panapress, December 7, 2007 fr icon.] His candidacy was backed by the Economic Community of Central African States. [Innocent Ebodé, [http://www.cameroon-info.net/cmi_show_news.php?id=21367 "Commission de l'Union africaine : M. Jean Ping candidat de l’Afrique centrale"] , "Repères" (Cameroon-info.net), December 19, 2007 fr icon.]

Ping was elected as Chairperson of the Commission at an AU summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on February 1 2008. He had been the frontrunner, enjoying the support of countries in Central, West, and East Africa. North African countries also ultimately backed him; Ali Triki of Libya was prevented from standing due to submitting his candidacy late. Southern African countries opposed Ping, however. In the election, he defeated Osman Abdulai Conteh of Sierra Leone and Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika of Zambia, winning 31 out of 46 votes and obtaining the necessary two-thirds majority in the first round. [Peter Heinlein, [http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-02-02-voa2.cfm "African Union Chooses New Leaders, Rebuffs Gaddafi's Union Plan"] , VOA News, February 2, 2008.] On February 4, Bongo appointed Laure Olga Gondjout to replace Ping as Foreign Minister. [ [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/gabon/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN80028lgerrsianob0 "Léger remaniement du gouvernement gabonais"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), February 4, 2008 fr icon.] [ [http://www.panapress.com/archive.asp?code=fre&dte=05/02/2008 "Remaniement du gouvernement gabonais"] , Panapress, February 5, 2008 fr icon.]

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