Georges Rawiri

Georges Rawiri (10 March 1932 – 9 April 2006 ) was a Gabonese politician, diplomat and poet.

Early years and entrance to government Rawiri was born in Lambaréné, in western Gabon. He was the nephew of Paul Gondjout, the first President of the National Assembly of Gabon.

Rawiri moved to France in 1946, where he finished school and studied radio techniques. In 1957, he returned to Africa, helping to establish a radio station in Garoua, in northern Cameroon. He served as the head of the Gabonese national broadcasting network from 1960 to 1963. Some time later, he served as Minister of State for Economic and Financial Coordination. He retained close ties to Lambaréné and served as a liaison between Bongo's government and the locals on at least one occasion.

In the early 1990s, Rawiri left his ministerial roles and became the personal representative of Bongo. remaining in that post until his death.

In 2002, the weekly periodical Gabaon was suspended for three months by the Gabonese government after running what the government considered a "violent" critique of Rawiri. Rawiri was rumored to be the second-wealthiest man in Gabon, behind only the president himself. His daughter, Angèle Rawiri, was a novelist and translator, referred to as the "first female novelist of Gabon".

Death Rawiri died in April 2006 at a hospital in Paris, France. Bongo declared seven days of mourning for Rawiri, calling Rawiri "more than a brother, a parent" to him, describing him as an unprecedented individual in the country's history. A hospital in his hometown of Lambaréné has also been named after him.