Jérémie Bonnelame

Who is Jérémie Bonnelame?

Jérémie Émile Patrick Bonnelame is a Seychellois political figure and diplomat. He was Secretary-General of the Indian Ocean Commission from 1993 to 1997, Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2005, and was the Permanent Representative of the Seychelles to the United Nations from 2005 to 2007. Since 2007 he has been the Chairman of the Constitutional Appointment Authority.

Bonnelame was born on Mahé Island in the Seychelles. He worked as a teacher at the Modern Secondary School of Seychelles from 1967 to 1975, as well as Editor-in-Chief of L'Écho des Îles, a Catholic monthly. He was subsequently Director-General of Information from 1978 to 1979, then Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education from 1979 to 1980, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of External Relations from 1981 to 1983, and Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Information from 1983 to 1986.

He entered the government as Minister of Manpower in 1986, serving in that position until 1988; he was then Minister of Transport from 1988 to 1989 and Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries from 1989 to 1993.