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This is a list of prime ministers [lower-alpha 2] of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly the Republic of the Congo and Zaire) since the country's independence in 1960.
The current Prime Minister is Judith Suminwa, since 12 June 2024; she is the first woman in the post. [1]
(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)
No. | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) | Election | Term of office | Political party | President(s) (Term) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Took office | Left office | Time in office | |||||||
Republic of the Congo (1960–1971) | |||||||||
1 | ![]() | Patrice Lumumba (1925–1961) | 1960 | 24 June 1960 (appointed) | 5 September 1960 (dismissed) | 73 days | Mouvement National Congolais (Lumumba faction) | Joseph Kasa-Vubu ![]() (1960–1965) | |
2 | ![]() | Joseph Iléo (1921–1994) | — | 5 September 1960 | 20 September 1960 | 15 days | Mouvement National Congolais (Kalonji faction) | ||
3 | ![]() | Albert Ndele (1930–2023) | — | 20 September 1960 | 3 October 1960 | 13 days | Independent | ||
4 | ![]() | Justin Bomboko (1928–2014) | — | 3 October 1960 | 9 February 1961 | 129 days | Independent | ||
— | ![]() | Antoine Gizenga (1925–2019) (disputed) [lower-alpha 3] | — | 13 December 1960 | 5 August 1961 | 235 days | Parti Solidaire Africain (Gizenga faction) | ||
(2) | ![]() | Joseph Iléo (1921–1994) | — | 9 February 1961 | 2 August 1961 | 174 days | Mouvement National Congolais (Kalonji faction) | ||
5 | ![]() | Cyrille Adoula (1921–1978) | — | 2 August 1961 | 30 June 1964 | 2 years, 333 days | Mouvement National Congolais | ||
6 | ![]() | Moïse Tshombe (1919–1969) | — | 10 July 1964 | 13 October 1965 | 1 year, 95 days | CONACO | ||
7 | ![]() | Évariste Kimba (1926–1966) | 1965 | 13 October 1965 | 25 November 1965 | 43 days | CONAKAT | ||
8 | ![]() | Léonard Mulamba (1928–1986) [lower-alpha 4] | — | 25 November 1965 | 26 October 1966 | 335 days | Military | Joseph-Désiré Mobutu ![]() (1965–1997) | |
Post abolished (26 October 1966 – 27 October 1971) | |||||||||
Republic of Zaire (1971–1997) | |||||||||
Post abolished (27 October 1971 – 6 July 1977) | |||||||||
9 | ![]() | Mpinga Kasenda (1937–1994) | 1977 | 6 July 1977 [3] | 6 March 1979 | 1 year, 243 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | Mobutu Sese Seko ![]() (1965–1997) | |
10 | ![]() | Bo-Boliko Lokonga (1934–2018) | — | 6 March 1979 | 27 August 1980 | 1 year, 174 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
11 | ![]() | Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond (1938–2003) | — | 27 August 1980 | 18 April 1981 [lower-alpha 5] | 234 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
12 | ![]() | N'Singa Udjuu (1934–2021) | 1982 | 23 April 1981 [5] | 5 November 1982 | 1 year, 196 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
13 | | Léon Kengo wa Dondo (born 1935) | — | 5 November 1982 | 31 October 1986 | 3 years, 360 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
Post vacant (31 October 1986 – 22 January 1987) | |||||||||
14 | ![]() | Mabi Mulumba (born 1941) | 1987 | 22 January 1987 | 7 March 1988 | 1 year, 45 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
15 | ![]() | Sambwa Pida Nbagui (1940–1998) | — | 7 March 1988 | 26 November 1988 | 264 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
(13) | | Léon Kengo wa Dondo (born 1935) | — | 26 November 1988 | 4 May 1990 | 1 year, 159 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
16 | ![]() | Lunda Bululu (born 1942) | — | 4 May 1990 | 1 April 1991 | 332 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
17 | ![]() | Mulumba Lukoji (1943–1997) | — | 1 April 1991 | 29 September 1991 [lower-alpha 6] | 181 days | Popular Movement of the Revolution | ||
18 | ![]() | Étienne Tshisekedi (1932–2017) | — | 29 September 1991 [8] | 1 November 1991 | 33 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress | ||
19 | ![]() | Bernardin Mungul Diaka (1933–1999) | — | 1 November 1991 | 25 November 1991 | 24 days | Democratic Assembly for the Republic | ||
(11) | ![]() | Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond (1938–2003) | — | 25 November 1991 | 15 August 1992 | 264 days | Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans | ||
(18) | ![]() | Étienne Tshisekedi (1932–2017) | — | 15 August 1992 | 18 March 1993 | 215 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress | ||
20 | ![]() | Faustin Birindwa (1943–1999) | — | 18 March 1993 | 14 January 1994 | 302 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress | ||
(13) | | Léon Kengo wa Dondo (born 1935) | — | 6 July 1994 | 2 April 1997 | 2 years, 270 days | Union of Independent Democrats | ||
(18) | ![]() | Étienne Tshisekedi (1932–2017) | — | 2 April 1997 | 9 April 1997 | 7 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress | ||
21 | ![]() | Likulia Bolongo (born 1939) | — | 9 April 1997 [9] | 16 May 1997 [lower-alpha 7] | 37 days | Military | ||
Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present) | |||||||||
Post abolished (16 May 1997 – 30 December 2006) | |||||||||
22 | ![]() | Antoine Gizenga (1925–2019) | 2006 | 30 December 2006 | 10 October 2008 | 1 year, 285 days | Unified Lumumbist Party | Joseph Kabila ![]() (2001–2019) | |
23 | ![]() | Adolphe Muzito (born 1957) | 2011 | 10 October 2008 | 6 March 2012 | 3 years, 148 days | Unified Lumumbist Party | ||
— | ![]() | Louis Alphonse Koyagialo (1947–2014) Acting | — | 6 March 2012 | 18 April 2012 | 43 days | Unified Lumumbist Party | ||
24 | ![]() | Matata Ponyo Mapon (born 1964) | — | 18 April 2012 | 17 November 2016 | 4 years, 213 days | People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy | ||
25 | ![]() | Samy Badibanga (born 1962) | — | 17 November 2016 | 18 May 2017 | 182 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress | ||
26 | ![]() | Bruno Tshibala (born 1956) | — | 18 May 2017 | 7 September 2019 | 2 years, 112 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress | ||
2018 | Félix Tshisekedi ![]() (2019–present) | ||||||||
27 | ![]() | Sylvestre Ilunga (born 1947) | — | 7 September 2019 | 27 April 2021 | 1 year, 232 days | People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy | ||
28 | ![]() | Sama Lukonde (born 1977) | — | 27 April 2021 | 12 June 2024 | 3 years, 46 days | Future of Congo | ||
29 | ![]() | Judith Suminwa (born 1967) | 2023 | 12 June 2024 | Incumbent | 27 days | Union for Democracy and Social Progress |
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The earliest known human settlements in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been dated back to the Middle Stone Age, approximately 90,000 years ago. The first real states, such as the Kongo, the Lunda, the Luba and Kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards.
Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-largest country in the world from 1965 to 1997. With a population of over 23 million, Zaire was the most populous Francophone country in Africa. Zaire played a central role during the Cold War.
Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa za Banga, often shortened to Mobutu Sese Seko or Mobutu and also known by his initials MSS, was a Congolese politician and military officer who was the 1st and only President of Zaire from 1971 to 1997. Previously, Mobutu served as the 2nd President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1971. He also served as the 5th Chairman of the Organisation of African Unity from 1967 to 1968. During the Congo Crisis, Mobutu, serving as Chief of Staff of the Army and supported by Belgium and the United States, deposed the democratically elected government of left-wing nationalist Patrice Lumumba in 1960. Mobutu installed a government that arranged for Lumumba's execution in 1961, and continued to lead the country's armed forces until he took power directly in a second coup in 1965.
Joseph Kasa-Vubu, alternatively Joseph Kasavubu, was a Congolese politician who served as the first President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1960 until 1965.
Léon Kengo wa Dondo is a Congolese politician who served as the "first state commissioner" several times under Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaïre. He was one of the most powerful figures in the regime and was a strong advocate of economic globalization and free-market economics. He served as President of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2007 to 2019.
The First Congo War, also nicknamed Africa's First World War, was a civil war and international military conflict which lasted from 24 October 1996 to 16 May 1997 and took place mostly in Zaire, with major spillovers into Sudan and Uganda. The conflict culminated in a foreign invasion that replaced Zairean president Mobutu Sese Seko with the rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Kabila's unstable government subsequently came into conflict with his allies, setting the stage for the Second Congo War in 1998–2003.
Mpinga Kasenda was a political figure in Zaire under Mobutu Sese Seko. Kasenda was the prime minister of Zaire from 1977 to 1979 and the foreign minister from 1993 to 1994. He was killed in a plane crash near the airport in Kinshasa.
Antoine Gizenga was a Congolese (DRC) politician who was the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 30 December 2006 to 10 October 2008. He was the Secretary-General of the Unified Lumumbist Party.
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the head of government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Constitution of the Third Republic grants the Prime Minister a significant amount of power.
Air Zaïre was the national airline of Zaire. Its head office was located on the grounds of N'djili Airport in Kinshasa.
The Republic of the Congo was a sovereign state in Central Africa, created with the independence of the Belgian Congo in 1960. From 1960 to 1966, the country was also known as Congo-Léopoldville to distinguish it from its northwestern neighbor, which is also called the Republic of the Congo, alternatively known as "Congo-Brazzaville". In 1964, the state's official name was changed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but the two countries continued to be distinguished by their capitals; with the renaming of Léopoldville as Kinshasa in 1966, it became also known as Congo-Kinshasa. After Joseph Désiré Mobutu, commander-in-chief of the national army, seized control of the government in 1965, the Democratic Republic of the Congo became the Republic of Zaire in 1971. It would again become the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1997. The period between 1960 and 1964 is referred to as the First Congolese Republic.
Bernardin Mungul Diaka was a Congolese/Zairean diplomat and politician.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
This is a list of Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zaire.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Joseph Ngalula Mpandajila is a Congolese writer and politician.
In September and October 1991, Zaire experienced substantial violent unrest, as several Zairian Armed Forces units mutinied and rioted, soon joined by civilian protesters and looters. While the revolting soldiers primarily demanded more reliable and higher wages and it remained unclear whether they had any political motives, many civilians demanded the end of President Mobutu Sese Seko's repressive and corrupt dictatorship. The unrest started in Zaire's capital Kinshasa, and quickly spread to other cities. Large-scale looting caused massive property and economic damage, but the unrest resulted in no clear political changes. Zaire remained locked in a political crisis until 1996–1997, when Mobutu was overthrown during the First Congo War.
The Battle of Kisangani took place in March 1997 during the First Congo War. The rebels of the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), supported by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, took the city defended by the Zairian Armed Forces (FAZ) which was loyal to President Mobutu Sese Seko.