Willy Matsanga
Encyclopedia
Anicet Wilfrid Pandou, commonly known as Willy Matsanga, is a Congolese
politician. He was a militia leader during the tumultuous events of the 1990s and has been a Deputy in the National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo
since 2007.
loyal to opposition leader Bernard Kolélas
during the political violence of 1993–1994, in which rival militias battled in Brazzaville
. At the beginning of the June–October 1997 civil war, he defected to the side of Denis Sassou Nguesso
and the rebel Cobra militia.
The civil war ended in victory for the Cobras on 15 October 1997; President Pascal Lissouba
was ousted and Sassou Nguesso regained control of the country. Some believed that Matsanga's defection was a decisive factor in enabling Sassou Nguesso's victory. In the days that followed Lissouba's ouster, as the Cobras worked to consolidate control of the country, Matsanga led some Cobra fighters to attack Lissouba loyalists at Matoumbou on 18 October 1997. According to Matsanga, his fighters killed 30 of the Lissouba loyalists there and dispersed the other 70, while losing three of their own men.
Matsanga was appointed as Security Adviser to the Minister of the Interior after the 1997 civil war, but he proved difficult to control despite his official post. He and the security forces fell into a dispute over airport access, and in the course of that dispute one person was accidentally killed by gunfire in the Kinsoundi section of Brazzaville in September 2000.
At the time of the March 2002 presidential election
, Matsanga backed André Milongo
, the main opposition candidate, and joined Milongo's campaign. Matsanga reportedly agreed to Milongo's request that he not bring along weapons during the campaign. Although some initially viewed Matsanga's surprising decision to back Milongo as political maneuvering on the part of Sassou Nguesso, Matsanga's rhetoric suggested violent opposition to the government. Milongo ultimately decided to boycott the election. Matsanga then joined the Ninja rebels who remained active in the Pool Region under the leadership of Pasteur Ntoumi.
In early April 2002, serious fighting broke out between the army and Ninja rebels loyal to Ntoumi. As the army battled Ntoumi's rebels, Matsanga signed an agreement with Michel Ngakala
, the High Commissioner for the Reintegration of Former Combatants, and the army began an operation to disarm the Ninjas loyal to Matsanga in southern Brazzaville on 9 April 2002. The operation was disrupted when the Ninjas fired their weapons and frightened the local population. As a result, thousands of inhabitants of southern Brazzaville fled to other parts of the city.
Matsanga, who had acquired a fearsome reputation due to his militia activities over the years, was rumored to have died in Congo-Kinshasa
after the 2002 events. However, he received some attention in July 2005 by intervening in a parking dispute in Brazzaville's Bacongo district and helping to escort one of the individuals to a police station. It was observed that the police treated Matsanga with deference.
, Matsanga stood as an independent candidate for the fourth constituency of Makélékélé, a district of Brazzaville
. In the first round, he placed first with 30.65% of the vote; Hellot Matson Mampouya
, the candidate of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
(MCDDI), was close behind with 29.79%. Because no candidate won a majority in the first round, Matsanga faced Mampouya in a second round, held in August 2007. The ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT), which had signed an electoral alliance with the MCDDI, supported Mampouya. Nevertheless, Matsanga defeated Mampouya in the second round, receiving 56.74% of the vote.
Matsanga contested the June 2008 local elections as an independent candidate in Makélékélé, and he succeeded in winning a seat on the 15-member Makélékélé Municipal Council.
In a 2011 interview, Matsanga expressed disillusionment with politics and said that he did not intend to run for re-election to the National Assembly in the 2012 parliamentary election. However, he insisted that he would win another term if he chose to stand. He affirmed that he supported President Sassou Nguesso but expressed disgust with the political class.
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 a militia leader during the tumultuous events of the 1990s and has been a Deputy in the National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo
National Assembly of the Republic of the Congo
The Parliament of the Republic of Congo has two chambers. The lower house is the National Assembly . It has 153 members, for a five year term in single-seat constituencies.-See also:...
since 2007.
Militia leader
Matsanga was one of the leaders of the Ninja militiaNinja (militia)
The Ninjas were a militia in the Republic of the Congo, which participated in numerous wars and insurgencies in the 1990s and 2000s. The Ninjas were formed by the politician Bernard Kolélas in the early 1990s and were commanded by Frédéric Bintsangou, alias Pastor Ntoumi when Kolelas was in exile...
loyal to opposition leader Bernard Kolélas
Bernard Kolélas
Bernard Bakana Kolélas was a Congolese politician and President of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development...
during the political violence of 1993–1994, in which rival militias battled in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
. At the beginning of the June–October 1997 civil war, he defected to the side of 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...
and the rebel Cobra militia.
The civil war ended in victory for the Cobras on 15 October 1997; 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....
was ousted and Sassou Nguesso regained control of the country. Some believed that Matsanga's defection was a decisive factor in enabling Sassou Nguesso's victory. In the days that followed Lissouba's ouster, as the Cobras worked to consolidate control of the country, Matsanga led some Cobra fighters to attack Lissouba loyalists at Matoumbou on 18 October 1997. According to Matsanga, his fighters killed 30 of the Lissouba loyalists there and dispersed the other 70, while losing three of their own men.
Matsanga was appointed as Security Adviser to the Minister of the Interior after the 1997 civil war, but he proved difficult to control despite his official post. He and the security forces fell into a dispute over airport access, and in the course of that dispute one person was accidentally killed by gunfire in the Kinsoundi section of Brazzaville in September 2000.
At the time of the March 2002 presidential election
Republic of the Congo presidential election, 2002
A presidential election was held in the Republic of the Congo on 10 March 2002. This followed a civil war in 1997, which returned Denis Sassou Nguesso to power, and a subsequent transitional period, in which a new constitution was written and approved by referendum in January 2002.The election...
, Matsanga backed André Milongo
André Milongo
André Ntsatouabantou Milongo was a Congolese politician who served as Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo from June 1991 to August 1992. He was chosen by the 1991 National Conference to lead the country during its transition to multiparty elections, which were held in 1992...
, the main opposition candidate, and joined Milongo's campaign. Matsanga reportedly agreed to Milongo's request that he not bring along weapons during the campaign. Although some initially viewed Matsanga's surprising decision to back Milongo as political maneuvering on the part of Sassou Nguesso, Matsanga's rhetoric suggested violent opposition to the government. Milongo ultimately decided to boycott the election. Matsanga then joined the Ninja rebels who remained active in the Pool Region under the leadership of Pasteur Ntoumi.
In early April 2002, serious fighting broke out between the army and Ninja rebels loyal to Ntoumi. As the army battled Ntoumi's rebels, Matsanga signed an agreement with Michel Ngakala
Michel Ngakala
Michel Ngakala is a Congolese military officer and politician. He was Commander of the Congolese People's Militia during the 1980s, and he has been the High Commissioner for the Reintegration of Former Combatants, a role that involves the implementation of peace agreements with rebels, since 2001...
, the High Commissioner for the Reintegration of Former Combatants, and the army began an operation to disarm the Ninjas loyal to Matsanga in southern Brazzaville on 9 April 2002. The operation was disrupted when the Ninjas fired their weapons and frightened the local population. As a result, thousands of inhabitants of southern Brazzaville fled to other parts of the city.
Matsanga, who had acquired a fearsome reputation due to his militia activities over the years, was rumored to have died in Congo-Kinshasa
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
after the 2002 events. However, he received some attention in July 2005 by intervening in a parking dispute in Brazzaville's Bacongo district and helping to escort one of the individuals to a police station. It was observed that the police treated Matsanga with deference.
Politician
In the June 2007 parliamentary electionRepublic of the Congo parliamentary election, 2007
A parliamentary election was held in the Republic of the Congo on 24 June 2007, with a second round initially planned for 22 July 2007, but then postponed to 5 August 2007. According to the National Commission of the Organization of the Elections , 1,807 candidates stood in the first round for 137...
, Matsanga stood as an independent candidate for the fourth constituency of Makélékélé, a district of Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
. In the first round, he placed first with 30.65% of the vote; Hellot Matson Mampouya
Hellot Matson Mampouya
Hellot Matson Mampouya is a Congolese politician. A member of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development , Mampouya served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Scientific Research from 2007 to 2009 and he has been Minister of Fishing since 2009.-Early life and...
, the candidate of the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development
The Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development is a political party in the Republic of the Congo, led by Bernard Kolélas....
(MCDDI), was close behind with 29.79%. Because no candidate won a majority in the first round, Matsanga faced Mampouya in a second round, held in August 2007. The ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT), which had signed an electoral alliance with the MCDDI, supported Mampouya. Nevertheless, Matsanga defeated Mampouya in the second round, receiving 56.74% of the vote.
Matsanga contested the June 2008 local elections as an independent candidate in Makélékélé, and he succeeded in winning a seat on the 15-member Makélékélé Municipal Council.
In a 2011 interview, Matsanga expressed disillusionment with politics and said that he did not intend to run for re-election to the National Assembly in the 2012 parliamentary election. However, he insisted that he would win another term if he chose to stand. He affirmed that he supported President Sassou Nguesso but expressed disgust with the political class.