Pierre Lumbi

Pierre Lumbi Okongo (11 March 1950 – 14 June 2020) was a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Pierre Lumbi
Lumbi in 2017
Minister of State for Infrastructure, Public Works and Reconstruction
In office
5 February 2007 – February 2010
Succeeded byFridolin Kasweshi Musoka
Minister of Posts and Telecommunications
In office
1994–1995
Preceded byImbrahim Onbayo
Succeeded byManderi Selli
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
1992–1993
Preceded byBagbeni Adeito Nzengeya
Succeeded byMpinga Kasenda
Personal details
Born(1950-03-11)11 March 1950
Costermansville, Belgian Congo
(modern-day Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Died14 June 2020(2020-06-14) (aged 70)
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
NationalityCongolese
Political partyMouvement Social pour le Renouveau (MSR)

Early career

Lumbi was one of the founders of the Peasant Solidarity (Solidarité Paysanne) movement, which gained legal status in 1985. The initial purpose was to help the rural masses express their problems, resist forced cultivation of cotton, facilitate sales of their crops and help them find new business opportunities. After establishing a National Council of NGOs, the movement began making political demands, calling for a multiparty system at a conference in Kinshasa in 1991. Lumbi joined the government of Étienne Tshisekedi in August 1992 and April 1993, where he was Minister of Foreign Affairs. He joined the government of Kengo wa Dondo in July 1994 as Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. He was national security advisor to President Joseph Kabila from January 2001.[1]

Lumbi was Minister of Foreign Affairs during the transition. He was the head of the Mouvement Social pour le Renouveau (MSR) party, formed for the 2006 elections. The MSR had its roots in the "Solidarité Paysanne" movement of the 1980s and 1990s.[2]

Infrastructure and Public Works Ministry

Lumbi was appointed Minister of State for Infrastructure, Public Works and Reconstruction on 5 February 2007, in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga.[3] In the second cabinet, announced on 25 November 2007, he retained the ministry.[4] He was confirmed in the ministry on 26 October 2008, in the first cabinet of Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito.[5]

In 2007 Lumbi visited Beijing, laying the groundwork for an important economic agreement with China. The deal provides for 6.3 billion euros of investment, with 4.2 billion for public infrastructure development and 2.1 for mining works. Project management would be the responsibility of a joint enterprise, Sicomines, in which the DRC holds 32% of shares. The work would be assigned to the China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) and Synohydro Corporation, two Chinese corporations. It would include construction of roads and railways, hospitals, universities and housing. In return, the Chinese were promised access to copper, cobalt and gold supplies. The barter arrangement reduced the possibility of corruption, an important consideration in the DRC.[6]

In 2009 the World Bank expressed concern about the way the projects were being managed. A commission set up by the DRC National Assembly found that over US$23 million in signature bonuses had gone missing, apparently siphoned off by local government officials and officers of the state-owned Gecamnines. There were also complaints that the Chinese were failing to use local labor as agreed, and were using cheap imported materials for projects not covered by the project. Some parts of the project had stalled.[7]

Later career

In the second Muzito cabinet, announced in February 2010, he was replaced as Minister for Infrastructure by Fridolin Kasweshi Musoka. He was named special advisor to President Joseph Kabila on matters of security.[8] Lumbi's Mouvement social pour le renouveau was preparing to compete in the upcoming elections as a member of Kabila's ruling coalition.[9][10]

From 2018, till his death from COVID-19, Lumbi served as a member of the Senate.

Death

On 14 June 2020, Lumbi died in Kinshasa from COVID-19 during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[11]

References
  1. "Historique". Aid Watch. Archived from the original on 6 May 2005. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  2. "Président du Mouvement social". Le Potentiel. 13 December 2005. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. "Publication de la liste des membres du gouvernement Gizenga 1". Digital Congo. 6 February 2007. Archived from the original on 30 September 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  4. Paulin Kamate (28 November 2007). ""Gizenga II" pourrait-il réussir là où "Gizenga I" a déçu faute". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  5. "Publication de la liste des membres du nouveau gouvernement congolais". African Manager. 27 October 2008. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2011.
  6. Colette Braeckman (September 2009). "Le Congo et ses amis chinois". Le Soir (Bruxelles). Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  7. "DR Congo's missing millions". Africa Asia Confidential. 1 February 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  8. "Joseph Kabila remanie le gouvernement". Le Potentiel. 20 February 2010. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  9. "Congo Elections: MSR, pas de découplage des scrutins". Le Congo. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  10. "Pierre Lumbi Okongo reprend les rennes du Msr". Le Phare. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  11. "Veteran Congo politician Pierre Lumbi dies from coronavirus". Reuters. 14 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
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