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{{Short description|Gabonese politician and diplomat}}
'''Patrice Tonda''' is a [[Gabon]]ese politician and diplomat. He served in the government of Gabon as Minister of Housing from 2007 to 2008 and then as Minister of Trade and Industrial Development, in charge of [[NEPAD]], from 2008 to 2009.

==Early career and teaching==
Tonda is an engineer with a degree in experimental physics. After working at a [[uranium mining]] company as Deputy Director-General beginning in 1981, he was appointed as a special adviser on mining to President [[Omar Bongo]] in 1988, and he was professor of industrial economics at the ''Institut National Supérieur de Gestion'', part of the [[University of Libreville]], from 1989 to 1990. Subsequently he worked in [[Belgium]] as the CEO of [[Wongo International]] and professor of experimental physics at ''l'Athénée Royal d'Ath'' from 1991 to 1993.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=23 November 2006 |title=Gabon Ambassador Patrice Tonda presents credentials |url=http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=o59731 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510000432/http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=o59731 |archive-date=10 May 2010 |access-date=3 March 2024}}</ref>

==Diplomatic career==
Tonda became Gabon's Ambassador to [[Senegal]] in 1996, and in 1997 he was additionally accredited as Ambassador to [[Cape Verde]], [[Guinea-Bissau]], [[The Gambia]], and [[Guinea]]. He was appointed as Permanent Representative of Gabon to the [[United Nations at Geneva]] in 2003; while remaining Permanent Representative to the United Nations at Geneva, he was also appointed as Permanent Representative to [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization]] (UNIDO), based in [[Vienna]], in 2006. He presented his credentials as Permanent Representative to UNIDO on 23 November 2006.<ref name=":0" />

Following extended negotiations, the [[United Nations Human Rights Council]] appointed Tonda as one of six members of a team to investigate violence in [[Darfur]] in late January 2007. The composition of the team, which was headed by [[Jody Williams]], was the result of a compromise between Western countries, which had a very critical view of the [[Sudan]]ese government's actions, and African and Arab countries, which were more sympathetic to the Sudanese government.<ref>Tim Korte, [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1Y1-102560445.html "Jody Williams to Lead Mission to Darfur"]{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, Associated Press, 26 January 2007.</ref> The members of the UN team were not given visas and therefore were forced to conduct their research using information available outside of Sudan.<ref>[http://allafrica.com/stories/200702140989.html "Lacking Visas, UN Mission On Darfur to Carry Out Work Without Visit to Country"], UN News Service, 14 February 2007.</ref> Sudan furiously denounced the team, and Tonda returned to Geneva during the team's futile wait for visas. He nevertheless remained part of the team.<ref>Tim Korte, [http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-29967350_ITM "Sudan tries to block U.N. rights body from considering Darfur atrocities report"], Associated Press, 13 March 2007.</ref>

==Political career==
Tonda was appointed to the government of Gabon as Minister of Lodgings, Housing, and Urban Planning on 28 December 2007.<ref>[http://www.panapress.com/freenews.asp?code=fre040313&dte=29/12/2007 "Formation d'un nouveau gouvernement au Gabon"]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Panapress, 29 December 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref>[http://www.infosplusgabon.com/article.php3?id_article=1640 "Gabon : Le président Omar Bongo Ondimba remanie son gouvernement"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527000557/http://www.infosplusgabon.com/article.php3?id_article=1640 |date=May 27, 2009 }}, Infosplusgabon, 29 December 2007 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He was then moved to the position of Minister of Trade and Industrial Development, in charge of NEPAD, on 7 October 2008.<ref name=IZF>[http://www.izf.net/pages/gouvernement/5894/ List of governments of Gabon] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121161309/http://www.izf.net/pages/gouvernement/5894/ |date=November 21, 2008 }}, IZF.net {{in lang|fr}}.</ref><ref>"Oct 2008 - New cabinet", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', Volume 54, October, 2008 Gabon, Page 48815.</ref>

Bongo died in June 2009. After Bongo's son, [[Ali Bongo Ondimba]], won the [[2009 Gabonese presidential election|30 August 2009 presidential election]], Tonda was dismissed from the government on 17 October 2009.<ref>[http://www.gabonews.ga/actualite/actualites_2009.php?Article=9118 "Gabon: Liste complète du nouveau gouvernement gabonais"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091021042403/http://www.gabonews.ga/actualite/actualites_2009.php?Article=9118 |date=2009-10-21 }}, Gabonews, 17 October 2009 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref> He was then appointed as Chairman of the Board of [[Gabon Telecom]] on 19 October 2009.<ref>[http://www.agpgabon.ga/show_csm.php?IDCnmi=65 "Conseil des Ministres du Lundi 19 octobre 2009"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721025442/http://www.agpgabon.ga/show_csm.php?IDCnmi=65 |date=2011-07-21 }}, AGP, 19 October 2009 {{in lang|fr}}.</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Tonda, Patrice}}
[[Category:Gabonese diplomats]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Permanent Representatives of Gabon to the United Nations]]
[[Category:Government ministers of Gabon]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Gabon to Cape Verde]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Gabon to Guinea-Bissau]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Gabon to the Gambia]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Gabon to Guinea]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century Gabonese people]]