Justin Koumba

Justin Koumba (born April 5, 1947Willy Mbossa and Roger Ngombé, [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=18232 "Qui sont les nouveaux membres du bureau de l'Assemblée nationale ?"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", September 8, 2007 fr icon.] ) is a Congolese politician. A former United Nations official, he was Minister of National Education in 1992 and President of the National Transitional Council from 1998 to 2002. Since September 2007, he has been the President of the National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo. [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=PAN70027electelanoi0 "Election du nouveau président de l'Assemblée nationale"] , Panapress (Jeuneafrique.com), September 5, 2007 fr icon.]

Koumba was born in Gango in Kibangou District. He worked as an official at the United Nations beginning in 1976.Willy Mbossa, [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=18169&cat_id=1&oldaction=home&regpay_id=0 "Portrait. Qui est Justin Koumba ?"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", September 4, 2007 fr icon.] During the transition to multiparty elections from 1991 to 1992, he served in the transitional government headed by Prime Minister Andre Milongo as Minister of National Education. Subsequently he returned to the UN and became UNESCO's representative for Central Africa and the Great Lakes countries.Jean-Dominique Geslin, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/jeune_afrique/article_jeune_afrique.asp?art_cle=LIN24103lediasuottr0 "« Le dialogue est ouvert à tous »"] , Jeuneafrique.com, October 24, 2000 fr icon.]

Following President Denis Sassou Nguesso's return to power in the 1997 civil war, Koumba became President of the National Transitional Council (CNT), the provisional parliament, [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027lanounoitcn0 "La nouvelle Assemblée nationale entre en fonction"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), September 5, 2007 fr icon.] on January 14 1998; he served in that position until August 9, 2002, at which point the CNT was replaced by a newly elected National Assembly. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=1402&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=0&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=2002 "Survol historique des 45 années de vie parlementaire au Congo"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", August 13, 2002 fr icon.]

Speaking on Radio France Internationale in May 2000, Koumba alleged that former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, a political enemy of Sassou Nguesso who was living in exile, was a murderer. He also claimed that Kolelas had prisons built at his home and asserted that he had proof of these crimes. Kolelas denied Koumba's accusations. ["Congo: Former premier denies "murder" charges, challenges for proof", Radio France Internationale (nl.newsbank.com), May 27, 2000.]

Koumba was the President of the Alliance for Congo ("l'Alliance pour le Congo", APC), which was established in 2001 and supported Sassou Nguesso. [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=16359&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=0&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=20&select_month=0&select_year=0 "L'Alliance pour le Congo fusionne avec le Parti congolais du travail"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", May 26, 2007 fr icon.] Prior to this, he was never a member of any political party.

He was elected to the National Assembly in the first round of the 2002 parliamentary election, held in May; he was the APC candidate for Banda constituency in Niari Region, and he won the seat with 58.70% of the vote. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=936&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=60&select_month=06&select_year=2002 "Elections législatives : les 51 élus du premier tour"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", June 5, 2002 fr icon.] On August 13, 2003, he was one of 45 members of the National Commission of Human Rights appointed by Sassou Nguesso, and on September 2, 2003, he was elected by the Commission as its President. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=4093&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=0&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=40&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Justin Koumba élu à la tête du bureau national de la commission des droits de l’homme"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", September 3, 2003 fr icon.]

On May 26, 2007, the APC announced its merger with Sassou Nguesso's Congolese Labour Party (PCT). Koumba stood in the 2007 parliamentary election as a candidate of the PCT and was re-elected to the National Assembly from Banda constituency, [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=17753&oldaction=textes&regpay_id=0&cat_id=&ss_cat_id=&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=08&select_year=2007 "La liste complète des députés"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", August 11, 2007 fr icon.] receiving 94% of the vote. At the opening session of the new National Assembly on September 4, 2007, he was elected as the President of the National Assembly. He was the only candidate and received 121 votes from the 129 deputies participating in the vote.

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* [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=1367&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=60&select_month=08&select_year=2002 Interview with Koumba] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", August 6, 2002 fr icon.