Joseph Iléo (15 September 1921 – 19 September 1994), subsequently Zairianised as Sombo Amba Iléo, was a politician in the

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

and was prime minister for two periods.

Early life

Joseph Iléo was born on 15 September 1921. In 1956, he was one of the authors of ''Manifeste de la Conscience Africaine'', which demanded the right of Africans to self-rule. In 1958, he was one of the founders of the ''

Mouvement National Congolais The Congolese National Movement (french: Mouvement national Congolais, or MNC) is a political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. History Foundation The MNC was founded in 1958 as an African nationalist party within the Belgian Con ...

''. When the movement split a year later, he joined the camp led by

Albert Kalonji Albert Kalonji Ditunga (6 June 1929 – 20 April 2015) was a Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese politician best known as the leader of the short-lived secessionist state of South Kasai (''Sud-Kasaï'') during the Congo Crisis. Ear ...

Career

Iléo was voted into the Senate and then voted its president on June 1960. Upon the dismissal of then-prime minister

Patrice Lumumba Patrice Émery Lumumba (; 2 July 1925 – 17 January 1961) was a Congolese politician and independence leader who served as the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then known as the Republic of the Congo) from June u ...

, Iléo was declared prime minister by Congolese president,

Joseph Kasa-Vubu Joseph Kasa-Vubu, alternatively Joseph Kasavubu, ( – 24 March 1969) was a Congolese politician who served as the first President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (then Republic of the Congo) from 1960 until 1965. A member of the Kong ...

, on 5 September 1960. He held the post until 20 September 1960. Under Kasa-Vubu's successor,

Justin Marie Bomboko Justin-Marie Bomboko Lokumba Is Elenge (22 September 1928 – 10 April 2014), was a Congolese politician and statesman. He was the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Congo. He served as leader of the Congolese government as chairman of the Coll ...

, Ileo served as Minister of Information. He was again declared prime minister on 9 February 1961. He remained in this post until 2 August 1961. From March to December 1979 Iléo served as 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 ...

Later life

In April 1990, he founded the '' Parti Démocrate Social Chrétien'', serving as chairman of the party until his death. He died on 19 September 1994, aged 73.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ileo, Joseph 1921 births 1994 deaths People from Kinshasa Presidents of the Senate (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Presidents of the National Assembly (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Prime Ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Mouvement National Congolais politicians Democratic Social Christian Party politicians People of the Congo Crisis Évolués