Likulia Bolongo
Likulia Bolongo | |
|---|---|
| Prime Minister of Zaire | |
| In office 9 April 1997 – 16 May 1997 | |
| President | Mobutu Sese Seko |
| Preceded by | Étienne Tshisekedi |
| Succeeded by | Antoine Gizenga (as Prime Minister of Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2006) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Norbert Likulia Bolongo Lingbangi 8 July 1939 Basoko, Orientale Province, Belgian Congo |
| Died | 26 June 2026 (aged 86) Brussels, Belgium |
| Spouse | Marie-Godelive Nyota Ngongo |
| Children | 5 |
| Alma mater | Aix-Marseille University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Zaire |
| Rank | General |
Norbert Likulia Bolongo Lingbangi (8 July 1939 – 26 June 2026) was a Congolese politician and military official who served as Prime Minister of Zaire from 9 April 1997 to 16 May 1997, before his deposition after the First Congo War. Bolongo was the last prime minister appointed by Mobutu Sese Seko.
Early life and education
[edit]Norbert Likulia Bolongo Lingbangi[1] was born in Basoko on 8 July 1939.[2] He is a member of the Lokele people. He graduated with a doctorate from Aix-Marseille University. He taught law at the National University of Zaire.[3]
Career
[edit]From 1971 to 1985, Bolongo was auditor general of the armed forces.[3] Seven journalists from the United Kingdom, West Germany, France, and Spain were arrested in 1977 for entering the Shaba Province with papers from Angola; Bolongo accused them of espionage, but claimed that Mobutu Sese Seko chose to repatriate them to their respective ambassadors.[4]
Prime Minister Léon Kengo wa Dondo's cabinet was reorganised on 24 December 1996, and resulted in Bolongo being appointed as Minister of Defence and Vice Prime Minister.[5] A state of emergency was declared in Zaire by Mobutu Sese Seko on 8 April 1997, and Mobutu appointed Bolongo to replace Étienne Tshisekedi as Prime Minister of Zaire on 9 April.[6] Bolongo was the last person to serve as prime minister under Mobutu.[2]
A plan by Bolongo and Chief of Staff Kpama Baramoto Kata to recruit 500 mercenaries from South Africa and launch a counter-offensive against the rebels; the plan was approved by Mobutu.[7] As rebels approached the capital in May 1997, Bolongo and military leaders told Mobutu that they could not hold the city and that he should leave.[8] Bolongo informed United States Ambassador Daniel H. Simpson that Mobutu was fleeing Zaire for Brazzaville; Bolongo later fled to Brazzaville as well.[9]
Bolongo returned to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000.[10] President Laurent-Désiré Kabila appointed Bolongo as the Minister of Enterprises in his cabinet on 1 September 2000.[11] Bolongo ran for the presidency in the 2006 election, but received less than 0.50% of the vote in the first round. He supported Jean-Pierre Bemba in the second round.[10]
Personal life and death
[edit]Bolongo married Marie-Godelive Nyota Ngongo, with whom he had five children, in Kisangani on 7 July 1961.[3][2] He spoke French.[3] He resided in Paris in the 2010s.[10] He died in Brussels, Belgium on 25 June 2026, at the age of 86.[2]
References
[edit]- ↑ Ligodi 2022.
- 1 2 3 4 Sindani 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Central Intelligence Agency 1988.
- ↑ Jacksonville Daily News 1977.
- ↑ Zairian ruler shuffles government 1996.
- ↑ Current History 1997, p. 303.
- ↑ Paid fighters – and their paymasters 1997.
- ↑ French 1997.
- ↑ Serrill 2006.
- 1 2 3 Kibangula 2017.
- ↑ President Kabila reshuffles cabinet 2000.
Works cited
[edit]Journals
[edit]- "Four Months In Review". Current History. 96 (611). Daniel Mark Redmond: 293–303. 1997. doi:10.2307/45317722. JSTOR 45317722.
News
[edit]- "General to release Western journalists". Jacksonville Daily News. 6 May 1977. p. 16A – via Newspapers.com.
- "Paid fighters – and their paymasters". Africa Confidential. 20 June 1997. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026.
- "President Kabila reshuffles cabinet". The New Humanitarian. 5 September 2000. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026.
- "Zairian ruler shuffles government". The Olympian. 25 December 1996. p. A11 – via Newspapers.com.
- French, Howard (16 May 1997). "Zairian Rebels Nearing Capital as Mobutu's Forces Flee". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018.
- Kibangula, Trésor (30 May 2017). "RDC : mobutistes un jour, mais pas toujours". Jeune Afrique. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026.
- Ligodi, Patient (17 May 2022). "17 mai 1997-17 mai 2022: la RDC se souvient, 25 ans après Mobutu". Radio France Internationale. Archived from the original on 19 May 2022.
- Serrill, Michael (29 May 2006). "Finally, The End". Time. Archived from the original on 23 May 2025.
- Sindani, Serge (26 June 2026). "Décès du Général d'armées Norbert Likulia Bolongo, dernier chef du gouvernement sous le maréchal Mobutu". BETO. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026.
Web
[edit]- "Likulia Bolongo - Zaire" (PDF). Central Intelligence Agency. 15 November 1988. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 May 2024.
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