André Obami Itou

André Obami Itou (born 1940 [http://www.congoplus.info/article_congoplus-4373.html "Congo Brazzaville : André Obami Itou succède à Ambroise Noumazalay au Sénat"] , Kimpwanza (congoplus.info), December 5, 2007 fr icon.] [http://www.jeuneafrique.com/pays/congo_brazza/article_depeche.asp?art_cle=XIN70027androtansud0 "André Obami Itou élu nouveau président du Sénat"] , Xinhua (Jeuneafrique.com), December 1, 2007 fr icon.] ) is a Congolese politician and the President of the Senate of the Republic of the Congo.

Obami Itou was born in Epouélé, Gamboma, in Plateaux Region. He was a founding member of the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in December 1969, and he was first councillor at the Congolese embassy in Algeria from 1969 to 1971. He became government commissioner, or prefect, of Bouenza Region in 1971, and he became a member of the PCT Central Committee in 1972; he remained on the Central Committee throughout the PCT's single-party rule.Rémy Bazenguissa-Ganga, "Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique" (1997), Karthala Editions, page 443.] He was the Director-General of the Kinsoundi textile factory from 1973 to 1974, an ambassador from 1975 to 1976, Director-General of the national oil refinery from 1976 to 1978, and political commissioner of Pool Region from 1980 to 1984.

In 1984, Obami Itou became President of the PCT Commission of Monitoring and Verification; he was subsequently chosen as the Secretary of the PCT Central Committee in charge of Organization in 1987. Obami Itou was included in the PCT Political Bureau in 1989 and assigned responsibility for foreign relations. He was subsequently named as one of five members of the Secretariat of the PCT Central Committee in mid-1990, in charge of foreign relations. [Bazenguissa-Ganga, "Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique" (1997), page 336.] Later, he was Director-General of "Hydro Congo", the country's oil exploration company, from 1999 to 2002.

He was elected to the Senate from Plateaux Region in 2002; [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=1180&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Elections sénatoriales : les résultats officiels rendus publics à Brazzaville"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", July 13, 2002 fr icon.] in the same year, he was also at the head of the PCT's candidate list in Gamboma in the local election for the Regional Council. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=1066&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Elections locales : André Obami Itou (PCT) invite la population de Gamboma à élire des gens expérimentés au conseil régional"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", June 26, 2002 fr icon.] On August 23 2002 he was elected by the Senate as President of the Commission on Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration, and Development Cooperation. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=1491&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=1&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Sénat": mise en place des bureaux des commissions permanentes"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", August 27, 2002 fr icon.] When the Pan-African Parliament began meeting in March 2004, Itou became one of Congo's five members. [ [http://www.africa-union.org/organs/pan%20african%20parliament/List%20of%20Members%20pap.pdf List of members of the Pan-African Parliament] (as of March 15, 2004), African Union website.]

Ambroise Noumazalaye, the President of the Senate, died in November 2007, and Obami Itou was elected to succeed him on December 1 2007. Following the 2008 Senate election, Obami Itou was re-elected as President of the Senate on August 12 2008. [ [http://www.brazzaville-adiac.com/index.php?action=depeche&dep_id=23517&oldaction=liste&regpay_id=0&them_id=0&cat_id=0&ss_cat_id=0&LISTE_FROM=0&select_month=0&select_year=0 "Renouvellement du bureau du Sénat : Vincent Ganga et Dominique Lekoyi montent au perchoir"] , "Les Dépêches de Brazzaville", August 12, 2008 fr icon.] Obami Itou remains a member of the PCT Political Bureau as of 2007, and he remains the PCT's Permanent Secretary for Foreign Relations as of 2008. [ [http://www.french.xinhuanet.com/french/2008-02/21/content_581815.htm "Le président du Congo reçoit un haut responsable du Parti communiste chinois"] , Xinhua, February 21, 2008 fr icon.]

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