Augustin Matata Ponyo

Augustin Matata Ponyo Mapon (born 5 June 1964)[1] is a Congolese political figure who was Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from April 2012 to November 2016.[2] Previously he served as Minister of Finance from February 2010 to April 2012;[3][4][5] as Prime Minister, he retained responsibility for the finance portfolio.

Augustin Matata Ponyo
23rd Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office 18 April 2012 – 17 November 2016
President	Joseph Kabila
Preceded by	Louis Alphonse Koyagialo (Acting)
Succeeded by	Samy Badibanga
Minister of Finance
In office 21 February 2010 – 12 April 2012
Prime Minister	Adolphe Muzito Louis Alphonse Koyagialo (Acting)
Preceded by	Atanase Matenda
Succeeded by	Patrice Kitebi
Personal details
Born	5 June 1964 Maniema, Congo-Léopoldville (now Congo-Kinshasa)
Political party	People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
Alma mater	University of Kinshasa

Career

On 12 February 2012, while serving as Minister of Finance, Ponyo was seriously injured in a plane crash near the town of Bukavu in which two passengers and both crew members were killed.

On 18 April 2012 he was appointed as Prime Minister by President Joseph Kabila.[6]

He visited Beni after the massacre there, and was booed by hundreds of people. Violent protests then broke out which resulted in the deaths of three people.[7]

He resigned as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 14 November 2016, as part of an African Union-backed national dialogue framework agreement which specifies an opposition leader takes the position of Prime Minister.[8]

References

1. "Congo-Kinshasa: Gros plan sur Matata Ponyo Mapon". AllAfrica.com. 2 August 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012. (French)
2. CIA World Leaders, Democratic Republic of the Congo Archived 6 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine
3. "MINISTERE DES FINANCES :Patrice Kitebi passe le flambeau à Henri Yav Mulang". 7sur7.cd. 12 December 2014.
4. "DR Congo Finance Minister Augustin Ponyo to be new PM". BBC News. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2012.
5. "Joseph Kabila Reshuffles Government". congonewsagency.com. 21 February 2010. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
6. "Congo president names finance minister to PM job", Associated Press, 19 April 2012.
7. "Three dead in protests after DR Congo massacre", Agence France-Presse, 18 August 2016.
8. Ismail Akwei, "DR Congo Prime Minister Matata Ponyo resigns", Africanews, 14 November 2016.