Justin Koumba

**Justin Koumba** (born 5 April 1947) be one Congolese politician wey serve as President of de National Assembly of Congo-Brazzaville from 2007 reach 2017. Before dat, e be official for United Nations, plus e serve for Congo-Brazzaville ein govment as Minister of National Education for 1992. Later, e be President of de National Transitional Council from 1998 to 2002, plus e lead de National Human Rights Commission from 2003 go 2007.

## Political career
Koumba dem born am for Gango insyd Kibangou District, wey dey Niari Department. He start work as UN official from 1976. During de 1991–1992 period wey Congo dey move go multiparty elections, dem appoint am for de transitional govment under Prime Minister André Milongo as Minister of National Education on 26 January 1992. Dem still keep am for de same post after reshuffle on 21 May 1992, plus dem add science, technology, youth, sports, culture, den arts to ein role. After de transitional period end later for 1992, Koumba go back to ein work for UN, where e become UNESCO ein rep for Central Africa plus Great Lakes countries.

After President Denis Sassou Nguesso come back to power after de June, October 1997 civil war, dem organize one National Reconciliation Forum for January 1998. As de forum end, dem elect Koumba as President of de National Transitional Council (CNT) on 14 January 1998. Dis CNT be 75-member body wey act as temporary parliament. Even though Koumba na southerner, majority of de CNT members be northerners, wey reflect how northerners dey control de politics under Sassou Nguesso. From 1998 to 2002, dis CNT body dey criticised say e be just one "embarrassingly compliant rubber stamp."

For May 2000, as e dey talk on Radio France Internationale, Koumba accuse former Prime Minister Bernard Kolelas, wey be Sassou Nguesso ein political rival wey dey exile, say e be murderer. Koumba talk say Kolelas build prison for ein house and e get proof for all de crimes. But Kolelas deny all de accusations.

Koumba na de President of de Alliance for Congo (l'Alliance pour le Congo, APC), wey dem form for 2001, plus e support Sassou Nguesso. Before dis, e no ever join any political party before. After de CNT wey Koumba dey head run for over four years, dem do parliamentary election for May–June 2002 to replace am plus elected National Assembly. Koumba contest de election as APC candidate for Banda constituency for Niari, and e win de seat for first round wey e get 58.70% of de vote. But e no show for de first meeting of de National Assembly wey dem elect Jean-Pierre Thystère Tchicaya as President of de National Assembly on 10 August 2002.

One year later, on 13 August 2003, Sassou Nguesso appoint am as one of 45 members for de National Human Rights Commission. Then on 2 September 2003, de Commission elect am as dem President.

On 26 May 2007, APC talk say dem go join body plus Sassou Nguesso ein Congolese Labour Party (PCT). After Koumba comot as President of de National Human Rights Commission, e contest de June–August 2007 parliamentary election as PCT candidate for Banda constituency, and dem re-elect am go de National Assembly. For de first round, e get 36.70% of de vote, so e enter second round plus Jean-Claude Moussavou from Action Movement for Renewal. Koumba beat Moussavou for dat round come win de seat. Then for 4 September 2007, wey be de opening session for de new parliamentary term, dem elect Koumba as President of de National Assembly. E be de only candidate, and e get 121 votes from de 129 deputies wey vote. Dem choose am sake of say e be southerner (wey be de custom for dat position), plus people believe say e dey more loyal to President Sassou Nguesso pass de former head, Thystère Tchicaya.

As Congo-Brazzaville mark dem 50 years of independence for 2010, Koumba talk for de opening of de National Assembly ein ninth ordinary session for mid-2010 say, "after half a century of political sovereignty, we for now get economic sovereignty too." For October 2010, Koumba go Iran go visit, wey e meet plus Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. E talk say e dey hope make de two countries build better cooperation. E sana visit de tomb wey Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini dey and praise Khomeini sake of how e lead de 1979 Iranian Revolution.

### Activities since 2012
For de July–August 2012 parliamentary election, Koumba win back ein seat for de National Assembly as de PCT candidate for Banda constituency; e grab de seat straight from de first round, get 62.71% of de vote. As de National Assembly start dey meet for dem new parliamentary term, de MPs re-elect Koumba as President of de National Assembly on 5 September 2012. Na only he dey contest for de position, and e collect 135 votes out of de 138 MPs wey vote.

Alexandre-Ferdinand Nguendet, wey be President of de National Transitional Council for Central African Republic, meet plus Koumba on 5 June 2013 make e get advice on how to manage transitional parliament work, since Koumba self don head Congo-Brazzaville ein transitional parliament from 1998 go 2002. On 2 December 2013, Koumba go Paris go meet Claude Bartolone, President of de National Assembly of France. Dem talk about how de two parliaments fit work together and de kasala wey dey happen for Central African Republic. Later on 14 February 2014, Central African Prime Minister André Nzapayéké come meet Koumba for Brazzaville. Dem yarn about wetin dey go on for ein country and he thank de people of Congo-Brazzaville for de support wey dem show inside de crisis.

Wen Sassou Nguesso visit Niari for March 2014, Koumba plus Pierre Mabiala beg am make e gree change de constitution so say e fit contest for anoda presidential term for 2016. Right afta dat, on 6 April 2014, dem form one group wey dem call Citizen Front for Changing de Constitution, wey Koumba be de President. Koumba talk say de aim of dis new group na to ginger people support for de proposal so say de govment go gree act on top am. Even tho plenty pipol believe say na Sassou Nguesso dey push de matter, Koumba make clear say dem no dey do am under ein order.

For late April 2014, Koumba call de deputies make dem tink about how state institutions dey work, say e fit be say dem no dey fit well again for how de kontri be now. E talk say e get hope say dem go "sincerely plus in peace" find better solution wey go match how society dey change. Koumba open one African regional meeting of de Parliamentary Assembly of de Francophonie wey dem hold for Brazzaville from 26 go 28 May 2014. As e dey talk for de program, e talk say "de work wey parliamentarians dey do important pass for Africa governance, because we get power to make law. De pipol wey elect we put dem hope for how we go take show face plus adapt for different situations."

For July 2017 parliamentary election inside, dem re-elect Koumba go de National Assembly as de PCT candidate for Banda, wey e win de seat for first round plus 99% of de vote. As de National Assembly start dem new term on 19 August 2017, na Isidore Mvouba dem elect make e take over from Koumba as President of de National Assembly.

## References


## External links
*Interview with Koumba at the Wayback Machine (archived 9 February 2012), *Les Dépêches de Brazzaville*, 6 August 2002 (in French).