Joachim Yhombi-Opango
Encyclopedia
Jacques Joachim Yhombi Opango (born 12 January 1939) is a Congolese
politician. He was an army officer who became Congo-Brazzaville's first general
and served as Head of State of Congo-Brazzaville from 1977 to 1979. He is currently the President of the Rally for Democracy and Development
(RDD), a political party, and served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1996. He was in exile from 1997 to 2007.
) in Cuvette Region
, in the north of the Congo. Under President Marien Ngouabi
, Yhombi-Opango was Army Chief of Staff (with the rank of Major); he was suspended from that position on July 30, 1970, but subsequently restored to it. He was a member of the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) and was associated with the party's right wing. Leftist elements in the PCT claimed in a broadcast on Voice of the Revolution radio on February 22, 1972 that Yhombi-Opango was trying to take power in a rightist coup and that he had ordered the arrest of members of the PCT Political Bureau. This claim was part of an unsuccessful leftist coup attempt led by Lieutenant Ange Diawara
. Yhombi-Opango became a member of the Central Committee of the PCT in 1972. He was then promoted to the rank of Colonel and became a member of the PCT's Political Bureau in January 1973. He served as Secretary-General of the Council of State until being moved to the post of Council of State delegate in charge of Defence on November 9, 1974.
Following the assassination of Ngouabi in March 1977, Yhombi-Opango became Head of State. He served in office for nearly two years until being forced to resign in February 1979. Accused of attempting to form a "rightist faction" in the PCT, he was subsequently held in detention for several years by his successor, President Denis Sassou Nguesso
. In addition to being placed under house arrest
, he was expelled from the PCT and his property was confiscated in 1979; furthermore, he was demoted from the rank of general to that of private
, according to an announcement on October 20, 1979. Sassou Nguesso announced Yhombi-Opango's release when the former was sworn in for a second term as President on November 10, 1984, citing "the interest of national unity and peace".
In July 1987, 20 officers were arrested for allegedly plotting a coup, and a commission investigating the plot implicated Yhombi-Opango, along with Captain Pierre Anga
. In September 1987, Yhombi-Opango was arrested in connection with this plot. Sassou Nguesso announced his release, along with all other political prisoners, on August 14, 1990, in a move marking the 30th anniversary of Congolese independence. At the February–June 1991 National Conference, some delegates accused Yhombi-Opango and Sassou Nguesso of complicity in Ngouabi's assassination.
Afterwards, Yhombi-Opango was the candidate of his party, the Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD), in the August 1992 presidential election
, taking sixth place with 3.49% of the vote. In his native Cuvette Region, he placed second, with 27% of the vote, behind Sassou Nguesso. He allied with President Pascal Lissouba
and Lissouba's party, the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy
(UPADS), in the first round of the 1993 parliamentary election
, held in May, and after the election Lissouba appointed him as Prime Minister on June 23, 1993. The opposition contested the results, however, and a severe political dispute erupted, with the opposition setting up a rival government. Yhombi-Opango resigned on January 13, 1995 so that Lissouba would be free to consult other parties in the formation of a new government; he was promptly reappointed as Prime Minister, with a new government—including four members of the opposition Union for Democratic Renewal
(URD)—being named on January 23.
Some members of UPADS who were from Lissouba's own Téke
ethnic group called for Yhombi-Opango's resignation in 1996 because they wanted the Prime Minister to be a Téke as well. As a result, Yhombi-Opango resigned on August 23, 1996; Lissouba appointed David-Charles Ganao to replace him on August 27.
Sassou-Nguesso's visit to Owando, Yhombi-Opango's political stronghold, in May 1997 led to an outbreak of violence between his supporters and those of Yhombi-Opango. Following this incident, a civil war began in June, leading to Lissouba's ouster in October 1997; Yhombi-Opango supported Lissouba during the war, serving as leader of the Presidential Majority, and after Sassou-Nguesso's victory he fled into exile in Cote d'Ivoire
and France
.
In December 2001, Yhombi-Opango joined two other exiled politicians, Lissouba and Bernard Kolélas
, in rejecting the electoral process begun under Sassou-Nguesso, saying that it was not transparent. Along with Lissouba and Kolélas, he called for a passive boycott of the January 2002 constitutional referendum
.
Yhombi-Opango was sentenced in absentia to 20 years of hard labor for embezzlement in late December 2001. Also convicted in this trial were Lissouba (who received a 30-year sentence) and three other former members of the government (former Prime Minister Claude Antoine da Costa, former Minister of Finance Guila Mougounga Nkombo, and former Minister of Oil Benoit Koukebene). The charge of embezzlement was based on an accusation that Lissouba, Yhombi-Opango, and the others made a corrupt deal with Occidental Petroleum
to sell oil to the company for 150 million US dollars in 1993; the sum was said to amount to less than a fourth of the oil's actual value. The money from this deal was allegedly never placed in the Treasury; instead, part of the money was said to have been placed in a private bank account in Belgium
, while the remainder was said to have been used for electoral campaigning. Claudine Munari
, who had been Director of the Cabinet, said in defense of the accused that there was no alternative to the deal and that the money was actually used to pay wage arrears and organize the 1993 parliamentary election. The accused were also charged with misappropriating public funds, but this charge did not result in conviction.
A dispute in the RDD leadership emerged in 2005. Yhombi-Opango, still in exile, asked the party leadership in Congo-Brazzaville to approach the governing PCT, but Saturnin Okabé, who led the party in Yhombi-Opango's absence, refused to do so. Yhombi-Opango reacted angrily to this refusal.
An amnesty for Yhombi-Opango was approved by the Congolese Council of Ministers on May 18, 2007. He returned to Congo-Brazzaville on August 10, 2007, and a thousand of his supporters were present to welcome him. At a meeting of the RDD Steering Committee on September 8, 2007, Yhombi-Opango reassumed the leadership of the party from Interim President Saturnin Okabé and Secretary-General Martial Mathieu Kani
. On this occasion, Yhombi-Opango announced his intention to reorganize the party and improve its position on the national political scene.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
politician. He was an army officer who became Congo-Brazzaville's first general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and served as Head of State of Congo-Brazzaville from 1977 to 1979. He is currently the President of the Rally for Democracy and Development
Rally for Democracy and Development
The Rally for Democracy and Development is a political party in the Republic of the Congo. It has been one of the main participants in a coalition known as the African Socialist Movement-Congolese Progressive Party .The RDD was founded in 1990 under the leadership of former Head of State Joachim...
(RDD), a political party, and served as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1996. He was in exile from 1997 to 2007.
Political career
Yhombi-Opango was born in Fort Rousset (now OwandoOwando
Owando is a town in the central Republic of the Congo, lying on the Kouyou River. It is the capital of Cuvette Department and an autonomous commune...
) in Cuvette Region
Cuvette Region
Cuvette is a department of the Republic of the Congo in the central part of the country. It borders the departments of Cuvette-Ouest, Likouala, Plateaux, and Sangha, and internationally, the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital is Owando...
, in the north of the Congo. Under President Marien Ngouabi
Marien Ngouabi
Marien Ngouabi was the military President of the Republic of the Congo from January 1, 1969 to March 18, 1977.-Origins:...
, Yhombi-Opango was Army Chief of Staff (with the rank of Major); he was suspended from that position on July 30, 1970, but subsequently restored to it. He was a member of the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) and was associated with the party's right wing. Leftist elements in the PCT claimed in a broadcast on Voice of the Revolution radio on February 22, 1972 that Yhombi-Opango was trying to take power in a rightist coup and that he had ordered the arrest of members of the PCT Political Bureau. This claim was part of an unsuccessful leftist coup attempt led by Lieutenant Ange Diawara
Ange Diawara
Ange Diawara was a politician and military figure from the Republic of the Congo.Diawara was born in Sibiti. When the National Revolutionary Council was established in August 1968, Diawara became First Vice-President of the CNR Executive Board in charge of Defense and Security; he was...
. Yhombi-Opango became a member of the Central Committee of the PCT in 1972. He was then promoted to the rank of Colonel and became a member of the PCT's Political Bureau in January 1973. He served as Secretary-General of the Council of State until being moved to the post of Council of State delegate in charge of Defence on November 9, 1974.
Following the assassination of Ngouabi in March 1977, Yhombi-Opango became Head of State. He served in office for nearly two years until being forced to resign in February 1979. Accused of attempting to form a "rightist faction" in the PCT, he was subsequently held in detention for several years by his successor, President Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso
Denis Sassou Nguesso is a Congolese politician who has been the President of Congo-Brazzaville since 1997; he was previously President from 1979 to 1992. During his first period as President, he headed the single-party regime of the Congolese Labour Party for 12 years...
. In addition to being placed under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
, he was expelled from the PCT and his property was confiscated in 1979; furthermore, he was demoted from the rank of general to that of private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
, according to an announcement on October 20, 1979. Sassou Nguesso announced Yhombi-Opango's release when the former was sworn in for a second term as President on November 10, 1984, citing "the interest of national unity and peace".
In July 1987, 20 officers were arrested for allegedly plotting a coup, and a commission investigating the plot implicated Yhombi-Opango, along with Captain Pierre Anga
Pierre Anga
Pierre Anga was a Congolese army officer and rebel leader who was an opposition figure to Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso. He formed part of the Military Committee of the Congolese Labour Party which for the period between 18 March 1977 to 3 April 1977 acted in place of the Presidency...
. In September 1987, Yhombi-Opango was arrested in connection with this plot. Sassou Nguesso announced his release, along with all other political prisoners, on August 14, 1990, in a move marking the 30th anniversary of Congolese independence. At the February–June 1991 National Conference, some delegates accused Yhombi-Opango and Sassou Nguesso of complicity in Ngouabi's assassination.
Afterwards, Yhombi-Opango was the candidate of his party, the Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD), in the August 1992 presidential election
Republic of the Congo presidential election, 1992
Presidential elections were held in the Republic of the Congo in August 1992, marking the end of the transitional period that began with the February–June 1991 National Conference...
, taking sixth place with 3.49% of the vote. In his native Cuvette Region, he placed second, with 27% of the vote, behind Sassou Nguesso. He allied with President Pascal Lissouba
Pascal Lissouba
Pascal Lissouba was the first democratically elected President of the Republic of the Congo from August 31, 1992 to October 15, 1997. He was overthrown by the current President Denis Sassou Nguesso in the 1997 civil war....
and Lissouba's party, the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy
Pan-African Union for Social Democracy
The Pan-African Union for Social Democracy is a political party in the Republic of the Congo, led by former president Pascal Lissouba....
(UPADS), in the first round of the 1993 parliamentary election
Republic of the Congo parliamentary election, 1993
Parliamentary elections were held in the Republic of the Congo on 2 May 1993, with a second round in several constituencies on 6 June. The result was a victory for the Presidential Tendency coalition, which won 65 of the 125 seats in the National Assembly....
, held in May, and after the election Lissouba appointed him as Prime Minister on June 23, 1993. The opposition contested the results, however, and a severe political dispute erupted, with the opposition setting up a rival government. Yhombi-Opango resigned on January 13, 1995 so that Lissouba would be free to consult other parties in the formation of a new government; he was promptly reappointed as Prime Minister, with a new government—including four members of the opposition Union for Democratic Renewal
Union for Democratic Renewal (Congo)
The Union for Democratic Renewal was a coalition of political parties in the Republic of the Congo. The coalition was led by Bernard Kolélas, who was also the leader of the coalition's largest party, the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development...
(URD)—being named on January 23.
Some members of UPADS who were from Lissouba's own Téke
Teke
-People:* Fatih Tekke, a Turkish footballer* Teke people or Bateke, a Central African ethnic group** Teke languages, a series of Bantu languages spoken by the Teke people* Teke tribe or Tekke, a tribe of southern Turkmenistan...
ethnic group called for Yhombi-Opango's resignation in 1996 because they wanted the Prime Minister to be a Téke as well. As a result, Yhombi-Opango resigned on August 23, 1996; Lissouba appointed David-Charles Ganao to replace him on August 27.
Sassou-Nguesso's visit to Owando, Yhombi-Opango's political stronghold, in May 1997 led to an outbreak of violence between his supporters and those of Yhombi-Opango. Following this incident, a civil war began in June, leading to Lissouba's ouster in October 1997; Yhombi-Opango supported Lissouba during the war, serving as leader of the Presidential Majority, and after Sassou-Nguesso's victory he fled into exile in Cote d'Ivoire
Côte d'Ivoire
The Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
In December 2001, Yhombi-Opango joined two other exiled politicians, Lissouba and Bernard Kolélas
Bernard Kolélas
Bernard Bakana Kolélas was a Congolese politician and President of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development...
, in rejecting the electoral process begun under Sassou-Nguesso, saying that it was not transparent. Along with Lissouba and Kolélas, he called for a passive boycott of the January 2002 constitutional referendum
Republic of the Congo constitutional referendum, 2002
A constitutional referendum was held in the Republic of the Congo on 20 January 2002, with results showed over 87% voted in favour with a voter turnout of 77.5%.-Background:...
.
Yhombi-Opango was sentenced in absentia to 20 years of hard labor for embezzlement in late December 2001. Also convicted in this trial were Lissouba (who received a 30-year sentence) and three other former members of the government (former Prime Minister Claude Antoine da Costa, former Minister of Finance Guila Mougounga Nkombo, and former Minister of Oil Benoit Koukebene). The charge of embezzlement was based on an accusation that Lissouba, Yhombi-Opango, and the others made a corrupt deal with Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is a California-based oil and gas exploration and production company with operations in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America...
to sell oil to the company for 150 million US dollars in 1993; the sum was said to amount to less than a fourth of the oil's actual value. The money from this deal was allegedly never placed in the Treasury; instead, part of the money was said to have been placed in a private bank account in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, while the remainder was said to have been used for electoral campaigning. Claudine Munari
Claudine Munari
Claudine Munari Mabondzo is a Congolese politician. She was Director of the Cabinet of President Pascal Lissouba from 1992 to 1997. Although Munari fled into exile when Lissouba was ousted, she later returned to politics in Congo-Brazzaville; she was a MP in the National Assembly from 2002 to 2009...
, who had been Director of the Cabinet, said in defense of the accused that there was no alternative to the deal and that the money was actually used to pay wage arrears and organize the 1993 parliamentary election. The accused were also charged with misappropriating public funds, but this charge did not result in conviction.
A dispute in the RDD leadership emerged in 2005. Yhombi-Opango, still in exile, asked the party leadership in Congo-Brazzaville to approach the governing PCT, but Saturnin Okabé, who led the party in Yhombi-Opango's absence, refused to do so. Yhombi-Opango reacted angrily to this refusal.
An amnesty for Yhombi-Opango was approved by the Congolese Council of Ministers on May 18, 2007. He returned to Congo-Brazzaville on August 10, 2007, and a thousand of his supporters were present to welcome him. At a meeting of the RDD Steering Committee on September 8, 2007, Yhombi-Opango reassumed the leadership of the party from Interim President Saturnin Okabé and Secretary-General Martial Mathieu Kani
Martial Mathieu Kani
Martial Mathieu Kani is a Congolese politician and academic. A leading member of the Rally for Democracy and Development , he has served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of the Tourist Industry and Leisure since September 2009....
. On this occasion, Yhombi-Opango announced his intention to reorganize the party and improve its position on the national political scene.