Bruno Tshibala

Bruno Tshibala Nzenze (born 20 February 1956) is a Congolese politician who served as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2017–2019.[1][2][3]

Bruno Tshibala
25th Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office 18 May 2017 – 7 September 2019
President	Joseph Kabila Félix Tshisekedi
Deputy	Léonard She Okitundu
Preceded by	Samy Badibanga
Succeeded by	Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba
Personal details
Born	20 February 1956 Gandajika, Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Political party	Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Alma mater	Marien Ngouabi University

Education

He finished primary and secondary education in Lubumbashi and studied law at the Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville.

Political career

He began his political career while still a student in April 1980 at the age of 24 when he joined a leftist political party in Zaire during the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko.[4] In December 1980, he, along with 13 parliamentarians wrote a letter to ask President Mobutu for democratic reforms while the country was still under the one-party system.

On 7 April 2017, then-President Joseph Kabila appointed him as Prime Minister during a nationwide televised address. He took office on 18 May 2017.[5][6]

In 2019, Tshibala made a bid to serve as a DRC Senator, but lost the Senate election on 15 March.[7]

Arrest

On 9 October 2016, he was arrested at N'djili International Airport when he was about to board a plane to Brussels and was held at Makala Central Prison. The country's Attorney General accused him of organizing demonstrations on 19 and 20 September 2016 in Kinshasa. He was later granted a provisional release on 29 November 2016.[8]

References

1. Cornish, Jean-Jacques. "DRC's Tshibala defends lifetime salaries for ex-ministers". ewn.co.za.
2. "Kabila names Bruno Tshibala new DRC prime minister". Al Jazeera. 8 April 2017.
3. "Outgoing Congo government defends golden parachutes". Reuters. 4 February 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2019 – via af.reuters.com.
4. "DRC: Bruno Tshibala appointed Prime Minister", Radio Okapi (in French).
5. "L'Avenir : " Primature: Tshibala aux commandes "" (in French). Radio Okapi. 19 May 2017.
6. "Bruno Tshibala prend les clefs de la Primature [Bruno Tshibala takes the keys of the Primature]" (in French). PRIMATURE. 18 May 2017. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
7. https://www.digitalcongo.net/article-en/5c8fa4114e1bc200046acfcd/
8. "Bruno Tshibala: a prime minister on temporary release", Politico CD, 7 April 2017 (in French).