Gabriël Anouchoumy

**Gabriël Jean Édouard Anouchoumy** (born 14 October 1972) is a Maronan politician from Tahare who has served as the mayor of Saint-Philippe since 2016. A member of the Tahare Left Party, Anouchoumy has additionally served as a member of the Council of Saint-Philippe since 2004. Anouchoumy is considered to be a close ally of president of Tahare Morgane Charucan.

Anouchoumy was born and raised in Saint-Philippe to a *Pondiche* family. After completing his secondary education in 1990, Anouchoumy relocated to Sainte-Anne to study a CPGE course at Lycée Sainte-Marie, which he completed in 1992. Anouchoumy later enrolled in EDC Business School in Delmas to study finance, graduating with a bachelor's degree in 1993, and a master's degree in 1995. After graduating, Anouchoumy worked at BND Nationale. In 1999, Anouchoumy left the job and returned to Tahare, where he worked at the Banque de La Tahare in Saint-Philippe.

Anouchoumy began his political career in 2004, when he was elected to the Council of Saint-Philippe in the 2004 local election. Later that year, he was selected as the Tahare Left Party candidate for Tahare's 4th constituency in the 2004 Maronan legislative election, but was defeated by incumbent Dimitri Grégoire of the Republican Party in the second round. He was later reelected to the Council of Saint-Pierre in the 2010 and 2016 local elections. Following the election of Morgane Charucan as president of Tahare in the 2016 regional election, she resigned her position as mayor of Saint-Pierre in June 2016, and Anouchoumy succeeded her. He later went on to lead the Pour La Tahare ! electoral alliance to victory in the 2022 local election, earning a second term as mayor.

## Early life and education

Anouchoumy was born on 14 October 1972 in Saint-Philippe, on the island of Tahare, to parents Jean-Pierre (born 1942) and Nadia Anouchoumy (née *Agathien*; born 1944). He is a *Pondiche*, with his family descending from Namil indentured servants who migrated to Tahare in the 19th century. Anouchoumy's parents both worked as doctors; his father was a cardiovascular surgeon and his mother a gynecologist, and the family was wealthy. He was raised in the Baie-Noire neighborhood of Saint-Philippe. Anouchoumy is the eldest of three children and only son; his younger sisters are Célestine (born 1976) and Marie-Suzette (born 1979), both of whom are doctors.

Anouchoumy began his education in 1977, attending private, Eurean Catholic schooling for boys in Saint-Philippe. As a child, Anouchoumy played football and aspired to become a doctor like his parents. He graduated from primary school in 1984, and later completed *collège* as well in 1987. Anouchoumy subsequently enrolled in Lycée Saint-Jean-le-Baptiste, a private, Eurean Catholic school, where he studied a *lycée académique* program in mathematics and natural sciences. While in *lycée*, Anouchoumy decided that he did not want to pursue medicine, and instead shifted his interest towards finance. He graduated with honors in 1990, and subsequently relocated to Sainte-Anne to begin a CPGE course at Lycée Sainte-Marie, completing it in 1992. After graduating, Anouchoumy enrolled in EDC Business School in Delmas, graduating with a bachelor's degree in finance in 1993, and a master's degree in 1995.

## Personal life

Anouchoumy married lawyer Virginie Prasangien in 2002, following a three-year relationship. They have three children together: Marion (born 2005), Méline (born 2007), and Lysa (born 2010). The family resides in the Baie-Noire neighborhood of Saint-Philippe, in a home across the street from Anouchoumy's parents. Anouchoumy practices Tiruism, and is an active member of the Tiru community in Saint-Philippe.