Mambou Aimée Gnali (born 18 October 1935) is a Congolese former politician. In 1963 she became one of the first group of women 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 rep ...

. She subsequently served as Minister of Culture and the Arts from January 1999 to August 2002.

Biography

A member of the Vili ethnic group, Gnali was born in Brazzaville in October 1935.GNALI Aimée Mambou
Le Maitron Her family moved to Nkayi when her father was transferred to the city. After two years of schooling in Pointe-Noire, she started attending the Sisters of Saint-Joseph de Cluny boarding school in Brazzaville. In 1947, she transferred to the Jeanne d'Arc high school in

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and French Equatorial Africa French Equatorial Africa (french: link=no, Afrique-Équatoriale française), or the AEF, was the federation of French colonial possessions in Equatorial Africa, extending northwards from the Congo River into the Sahel, and comprising what are ...

to earn a baccalaureate. She returned to France and studied modern literature at the

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

, where she joined the Black African Students Federation in France, becoming a member of its executive committee. After earning her diploma, making her one of the first Congolese women to gain a university degree,John Frank Clark & Samuel Decalo (2012)
Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo'' p198
/ref> she returned to Congo in September 1963 and began teaching at a high school in Pointe-Noire. However, having become a member of the

National Movement of the Revolution The National Movement of the Revolution (french: Mouvement national de la révolution, abbreviated MNR) was a political party in the Republic of the Congo. MNR was founded at a congress held June 29 to July 6, 1964. MNR was instituted as the sole ...

(MNR), she was a candidate for the party in the December 1963 parliamentary elections. With no opposition contesting the elections, she was elected to the National Assembly from the Pointe-Noire constituency, becoming one of the first group of three women to enter parliament.Le regard de Mambou Aimée Gnali sur le livre de Martin Mbéri
La Semaine Africaine, 20 December 2011 After being rejected for a teaching post at a school in Brazzaville in 1965, she moved to the United States to continue her education, completing courses at

Lawrence University Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second college in the U.S. to be founded as a coeducati ...

, Saint Louis University and

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

. After returning to Congo in 1967, she was appointed Director General of the Department of Education in 1968, holding the post until the following year. She also taught at the École normale supérieure in Brazzaville until joining

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

in 1971. She oversaw education projects in several African countries, living in Paris until 1978 and then Dakar until 1991. After returning to Congo, she was elected to the municipal council of Pointe-Noire in 1992, becoming deputy mayor in 1995. In January 1999 she was appointed Minister of Culture and the Arts, in charge of Tourism.

Jean-Claude Gakosso Jean-Claude Gakosso (born 25 July 1957.) is a Congolese politician who has served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2015. Previously he was Minister of Culture and the Arts from 2002 to 2015. Profession ...

was appointed to replace her on 18 August 2002.List of governments of Congo since 1999
, izf.net . She subsequently joined the Party pour l'Alternance Democratique, becoming its secretary general.

References

External links