  pascal lissouba (born november 15, 1931) 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. == early life == he was born in tsinguidi, south-west congo, a banzabi. he gained his education at the lycee felix faure in nice (1948â52), the Ãcole supÃ©rieure d'agriculture in tunis and the university of paris (1958â61). == political career == initially he was a civil servant, working in the department of agriculture (1961â63). but his abilities brought him to become minister of agriculture (1963â66) and then prime minister (1963â66) under president alphonse massamba-dÃ©bat. when massamba-dÃ©bat was overthrown in 1968 lissouba remained in government under marien ngouabi and although he was suspended from political activity from 1969 to 1971 he was on the central committee of the congolese workers party in 1973. in 1977 he was implicated for involvement in the assassination of ngouabi and arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment in 1977. he was released in 1979 but had to live in exile in france from 1979 to 1990. in france he was a professor at the university of paris and then worked for unesco in paris and nairobi. when president denis sassou nguesso was forced to move the congo towards democracy in 1991 lissouba returned and was elected presiden
1931_births Living_people Pan-African_Union_for_Social_Democracy_politicians Presidents_of_the_Republic_of_the_Congo Prime_Ministers_of_the_Republic_of_the_Congo Republic_of_the_Congo_exiles