André Ntsatouabantou Milongo (20 October 1935
, lechoc.info . – 23 July 2007) was a
Congolese politician who served as
Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo
This is a list of prime ministers of the Republic of the Congo since the formation of the post of prime minister in 1963, to the present day.
A total of seventeen people have served as Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo (not counting ...
from June 1991 to August 1992. He was chosen by the 1991 National Conference to lead the country during its transition to multiparty elections, which were held in 1992. He was also the founder and President of the
Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR-Mwinda), a political party. From 1993 to 1997, he was President of the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
,
and he was again a deputy in the National Assembly from 2002 to 2007.
Early life and political career
A member of the
Lari ethnic group,
[John F. Clark, "Congo: Transition and the Struggle to Consolidate", in ''Political Reform in Francophone Africa'' (1997), ed. John F. Clark and David E. Gardinier, pages 69–71.] Milongo, one of four children in his family, was born in October 1935 in
Mankondi, a village located to the south-west of the capital
Brazzaville
Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...
, in the
Boko District
Boko is a district in the Pool Department of south-eastern Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo ...
of
Pool Region
Pool ( kg, Mpumbu, Nsundi, Mbula Ntangu) is a department of the Republic of the Congo in the southeastern part of the country. It borders the departments of Bouenza, Lékoumou, and Plateaux. Internationally, it borders the Democratic Republic ...
.
[
After his primary and secondary schooling in Brazzaville, Milongo earned a ]Master's Degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. in Law at the University of Nancy
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...
, after which he studied at the ''École Nationale d'Administration
The École nationale d'administration (generally referred to as ENA, en, National School of Administration) was a French ''grande école'', created in 1945 by President of France, President Charles de Gaulle and principal author of the Constitu ...
'' (ÉNA) in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
, graduating in 1964. That year is also known as the ''"Blaise Pascal generation"'' at ÉNA.[ He was among only four Congolese citizens to have graduated from ÉNA. Former ]Togo
Togo (), officially the Togolese Republic (french: République togolaise), is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, where its c ...
lese prime minister Edem Kodjo
Édouard Kodjovi "Edem" Kodjo (May 23, 1938 – April 11, 2020), was a Togolese politician and diplomat. He was Secretary-General of the Organisation of African Unity from 1978 to 1983; later, in Togo, he was a prominent opposition leader after t ...
was a classmate of Milongo at ÉNA.[
Milongo began his professional career in 1964 as the first National Treasurer (''Trésorier Payeur Général'') in the newly independent Republic of the Congo, a position he held for five years. In this position, he rigorously managed the country's public funds. After this, he became director of the country's foreign investments in 1969 (''Directeur General des Investissements'') at the Ministry of Planning, remaining in that position until 1973. Two prime ministers also enlisted his help as an ]economic policy
The economy of governments covers the systems for setting levels of taxation, government budgets, the money supply and interest rates as well as the labour market, national ownership, and many other areas of government interventions into the e ...
advisor under the government of Marien Ngouabi
Marien Ngouabi (or N'Gouabi) (December 31, 1938 – March 18, 1977) was the third President of the Republic of the Congo from January 1, 1969, to March 18, 1977.
Biography
Origins
Marien Ngouabi was born in 1938 at the village of Ombellé, Cu ...
.[
Milongo married Ndambo Marie-Therese Laurentine on 4 February 1967, and with her he had seven children.][
He was elected to the ]board of governors
A board of directors (commonly referred simply as the board) is an executive committee that jointly supervises the activities of an organization, which can be either a for-profit or a nonprofit organization such as a business, nonprofit organi ...
at the African Development Bank
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies i ...
in the Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
in 1976, and represented eight African countries: Congo, Cameroon
Cameroon (; french: Cameroun, ff, Kamerun), officially the Republic of Cameroon (french: République du Cameroun, links=no), is a country in west-central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the C ...
, Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
, Cote d'Ivoire
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
, Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso (, ; , ff, 𞤄𞤵𞤪𞤳𞤭𞤲𞤢 𞤊𞤢𞤧𞤮, italic=no) is a landlocked country in West Africa with an area of , bordered by Mali to the northwest, Niger to the northeast, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the ...
, Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[Mauritania
Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...](_blank)
. He held that position for 7 years, before being elected to the board of governors at the World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
in Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
in 1983, where he met his colleague Nicephore Soglo. He remained at the World Bank until 1990.[
In the early 1990s, the Republic of the Congo was going bankrupt because of the loss of support from the ]Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
after the collapse of Communism
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
. This led to the emergence of a new generation of Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
n leaders like Nicéphore Soglo in Benin
Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...
, Alassane Ouattara
Alassane Dramane Ouattara (; ; born 1 January 1942) is an Ivorian politician who has been President of Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) since 2010. An economist by profession, Ouattara worked for the International Monetary Fund (IMF)[Sovereign National Conference
''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'.
The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...]
of 1991,[ the Conference elected Milongo as Prime Minister on 8 June 1991.][ As Prime Minister, he was given executive powers][ and placed in charge of directing the country's transition to multiparty elections in 1992.][ The National Conference additionally assigned the positions of Minister of Defense and Minister of Mines and Energy to Milongo.
Milongo's government was dominated by members of the Lari and ]Bakongo
The Kongo people ( kg, Bisi Kongo, , singular: ; also , singular: ) are a Bantu ethnic group primarily defined as the speakers of Kikongo. Subgroups include the Beembe, Bwende, Vili, Sundi, Yombe, Dondo, Lari, and others.
They have lived ...
ethnic groups. Tensions between the government and the army led to a serious crisis in January 1992.["Jan 1992 - Attempted coup", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', volume 38, January 1992, page 38,707.] It was alleged that, in order to gain control of the army, members of Milongo's government spread rumors that the army was plotting a coup.[ Furthermore, in moves viewed as being directed against loyalists of President ]Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso (born 23 November 1943) is a Congolese politician and former military officer. He became president of the Republic of the Congo in 1997. He served a previous term as president from 1979 to 1992. During his first period as p ...
, Milongo appointed Colonel Michel Gangouo, who had been implicated in a 1990 coup attempt against Sassou Nguesso, as Secretary of State for Defense on 2 January 1992.[Jean-Pascal Daloz and Patrick Quantin, ''Transitions démocratiques africaines: dynamiques et contraintes (1990-1994)'' (1997), Karthala Editions, pages 153–154 .] He made further changes to the military command, which he said were intended to fight tribalism,[ in mid-January.]["Soldiers and Government at Odds in Congo"]
''The New York Times'', January 16, 1992. The army strongly opposed these changes and demanded that Milongo reverse them.[ The Higher Council of the Republic (CSR), which was acting as the transitional parliament, judged that the coup rumors had been created by members of Milongo's government][ and requested that Milongo accede to the army's demands.][ Milongo refused to dismiss Gangouo, however,][ at which point soldiers took over the international airport as well as state radio and television, fired on Milongo's supporters, killing several, and called for Milongo's resignation. Milongo went into hiding and called for international assistance. Gangouo then resigned from his position][''Africa South of the Sahara 2004'' (2003), Routledge, page 307.] and Milongo appointed a new Minister of Defense who was supported by the army; however, he also placed himself in supreme command of the army.[
Municipal elections were held on 3 May 1992,]["May 1992 - Cabinet reshuffle New electoral timetable", ''Keesing's Record of World Events'', volume 38, May 1992, page 38,898.][I. William Zartman and Katharina R. Vogeli, "Prevention Gained and Prevention Lost: Collapse, Competition, and Coup in Congo", in ''Opportunities Missed, Opportunities Seized: Preventive Diplomacy in the Post-Cold War World'' (2000), ed. Bruce W. Jentleson, page 271.] and Milongo's government was widely criticized for its handling of these elections.[ The CSR told Milongo to form a new, national unity government.][ Interior Minister Alexis Gabou was particularly criticized for his role in the elections,][ and the CSR asked that he be replaced. Milongo named a new and much smaller government on 21 May.][ The CSR also transferred responsibility for handling the ]parliamentary
A parliamentary system, or parliamentarian democracy, is a system of democracy, democratic government, governance of a sovereign state, state (or subordinate entity) where the Executive (government), executive derives its democratic legitimacy ...
and presidential elections
A presidential election is the election of any head of state whose official title is President.
Elections by country
Albania
The president of Albania is elected by the Assembly of Albania who are elected by the Albanian public.
Chile
The pr ...
scheduled for later that year from Milongo's government to an electoral commission.[
In the August 1992 presidential election, Milongo ran as a presidential candidate, placing fourth with 10.18% of the vote. He received his strongest support in ]Brazzaville
Brazzaville (, kg, Kintamo, Nkuna, Kintambo, Ntamo, Mavula, Tandala, Mfwa, Mfua; Teke: ''M'fa'', ''Mfaa'', ''Mfa'', ''Mfoa''Roman Adrian Cybriwsky, ''Capital Cities around the World: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture'', ABC-CLI ...
and Pool Region
Pool ( kg, Mpumbu, Nsundi, Mbula Ntangu) is a department of the Republic of the Congo in the southeastern part of the country. It borders the departments of Bouenza, Lékoumou, and Plateaux. Internationally, it borders the Democratic Republic ...
, with 21.6% and 16.5% respectively.[ The transitional period ended with the swearing-in of the election winner, ]Pascal Lissouba
Pascal Lissouba (15 November 1931 – 24 August 2020) was a Congolese politician who was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of the Congo and served from 31 August 1992 until 25 October 1997. He was overthrown by the form ...
, on 31 August 1992.
Milongo founded a political party, the Union for Democracy and the Republic (UDR-Mwinda: ''Union pour la Démocratie et la République''; ''Mwinda'' means light in the Lari language), which he headed for the rest of his life. In the 1993 parliamentary election, he was elected to the National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
[ as the UDR candidate in Boko constituency,][Nella Sowp and Robert Gaillard]
"Congo Brazzaville : Décès d'André Milongo Nsatouabantu"
Kimpwanza, 23 July 2007 . becoming one of two UDR deputies in the National Assembly. On 22 June 1993, Milongo was elected as the President of the National Assembly, remaining in that position until 1997.[ During the political violence of 1993, Milongo requested and obtained a ]ceasefire
A ceasefire (also known as a truce or armistice), also spelled cease fire (the antonym of 'open fire'), is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be between state act ...
from both parties involved in the conflict, President Pascal Lissouba
Pascal Lissouba (15 November 1931 – 24 August 2020) was a Congolese politician who was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of the Congo and served from 31 August 1992 until 25 October 1997. He was overthrown by the form ...
and opposition leader Bernard Kolélas Bernard Bakana Kolélas (12 June 1933Alain Kounzilat, , Kimpwanza (planeteafrique.com) . – 13 November 2009Thierry Noungou"Parlement - Bernard Bakana Kolélas décédé ce 13 novembre à Paris", ''Les Dépêches de Brazzaville'', 13 November 2 ...
.
After the June–October 1997 civil war, in which Denis Sassou Nguesso returned to power, Milongo remained in the Congo, stating that he had nothing to fear from the Sassou Nguesso's leadership. He asserted that the Republic of Congo belonged to all Congolese nationals. After the war, he was a member of the National Transitional Council (CNT).
On 24 September 2001, Milongo's candidacy for the next presidential election was announced by the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP),["Congo: Former Speaker André Milongo reportedly to run for president", Panapress, 26 September 2001.] a grouping of parties that supported him.["Présidentielle; Le dépôt des candidatures est lancé", ''Afrique Express'', number 244, February 6, 2002 . ] Milongo accused the government of fraud in the January 2002 constitutional referendum, claiming that the "No" vote had actually won, and said that if he won the presidential election, he would initiate a "new political order" with a peace pact to end political violence and would allow all exiled politicians to return.[ On 8 March 2002, two days before the presidential election on 10 March, Milongo withdrew his candidacy, accusing Sassou Nguesso of rigging the vote. He said that party members were not allowed to observe the voting process, that there were areas where half of the ballot papers omitted his name, and that he had requested that the election be delayed.]["One-man race in Congo poll"](_blank)
BBC News, 10 March 2002. Accessed April 16, 2007. In the May 2002 parliamentary election, Milongo was elected to the National Assembly as the UDR-Mwinda's candidate in Boko constituency;["Elections législatives : les 51 élus du premier tour"]
''Les Dépêches de Brazzaville'', 5 June 2002 . he won the seat in the first round with 59.65% of the vote.[ Due to his status as the oldest deputy, he presided over the National Assembly's first meeting of the new parliamentary term, at which the bureau of the National Assembly was elected, on 10 August 2002. In the National Assembly, he became President of the UDR-Mwinda Parliamentary Group on 24 August 2002.
In addition to heading the UDR-Mwinda, Milongo was the chairman of a ]coalition
A coalition is a group formed when two or more people or groups temporarily work together to achieve a common goal. The term is most frequently used to denote a formation of power in political or economical spaces.
Formation
According to ''A Gui ...
of 11 political parties (''Front pour une Commission Electorale independante''), an assembly of political parties calling for transparency and independence in the management of all future elections.
Milongo ran for re-election to the National Assembly in the 2007 parliamentary election, but was defeated in the first round, held on 24 June. Following an illness, he died in a hospital in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
on 23 July 2007, aged 71.[ In a statement on 24 July, Sassou Nguesso described Milongo's death as "a great loss for the Congolese nation" and praised Milongo for his service as Prime Minister from 1991 to 1992. Milongo was laid in state at the Parliament building, where politicians paid tribute to him and Sassou Nguesso bestowed a posthumous high honor on him, before being buried at his residence on 20 August."André Milongo inhumée à Mafouta au Congo"]
Panapress, 20 August 2007 .
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milongo, Andre
Prime Ministers of the Republic of the Congo
École nationale d'administration alumni
Presidents of the National Assembly (Republic of the Congo)
Members of the National Assembly (Republic of the Congo)
1935 births
2007 deaths
Union for Democracy and the Republic (Republic of the Congo) politicians
Nancy-Université alumni
People from Pool Department