Joachim Yhombi-Opango

**Jacques Joachim Yhombi-Opango** (12 January 1939 – 30 March 2020) be Congolese politician. He be army officer wey turn Congo-Brazzaville ein first general, plus he serve as Head of State of de People's Republic of de Congo from 1977 to 1979. He be de President of de Rally for Democracy plus Development (RDD), wey be political party, plus he serve as Prime Minister from 1993 to 1996. He go exile from 1997 go 2007.

## Early life
Yhombi-Opango born on 12 January 1939 for Fort Rousset (wey now be Owando) insyd Cuvette Region, for north of de Congo. He marry Marie-Noëlle Ngollo, plus dem get chaw kiddies together.

## Career
Under President Marien Ngouabi, Yhombi-Opango be Army Chief of Staff (plus de rank of major); dem suspend am from dat position on 30 July 1970, but later dem bring am back. He be member of de ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT) plus he dey linked to de party ein right wing. Some left-wing people insyd de PCT talk for Voice of de Revolution radio on 22 February 1972 say Yhombi-Opango dey try take power by force through right-wing coup, plus say he order make dem arrest members of de PCT Political Bureau. Dis claim be part of one failed leftist coup attempt wey Lieutenant Ange Diawara lead. Yhombi-Opango enter PCT ein Central Committee for 1972. After dat, dem promote am to Colonel rank, plus he join de Political Bureau of de PCT for January 1973. He serve as Secretary-General of de Council of State before dem move am go position of Council of State delegate wey dey in charge of Defence on 9 November 1974.

### President
After dem kill Ngouabi for March 1977, Yhombi-Opango come turn Head of State. He dey power for nearly two years until dem force am make he resign for February 1979. Dem accuse am say he dey try form one "rightist faction" insyd de PCT, so afta dat, President Denis Sassou Nguesso—wey replace am—hold am for detention for plenty years. Apart from say dem put am under house arrest, dem expel am from de PCT plus seize all ein property for 1979; dem even demote am from general to ordinary private soldier, according to one announcement wey drop on 20 October 1979. Sassou Nguesso later announce say dem go release Yhombi-Opango when he take oath for ein second term as president on 10 November 1984, say e be for “de interest of national unity plus peace.”

For July 1987, dem arrest 20 officers wey dem talk say dem dey plan coup, and one commission wey dey investigate de plan mention say Yhombi-Opango plus Captain Pierre Anga dey involved. So for September 1987, dem arrest Yhombi-Opango again because of dis plot. Sassou Nguesso later release am plus all political prisoners on 14 August 1990, to mark de 30-year anniversary of Congo ein independence. During de National Conference wey happun from February to June 1991, some delegates accuse Yhombi-Opango plus Sassou Nguesso say dem join body inside de plan to kill Ngouabi.

### Prime minister
Afta dat, Yhombi-Opango be de candidate for ein party, Rally for Democracy and Development (RDD), for de August 1992 presidential election, but he come sixth place plus only 3.49% of de vote. For ein home area, Cuvette Region, he take second place wey be 27% of de vote, just behind Sassou Nguesso. He come join body plus President Pascal Lissouba plus Lissouba ein party, Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS), for de first round of de 1993 parliamentary election wey dem do for May. After de election, Lissouba appoint am Prime Minister on 23 June 1993. But opposition people no gree de results, and big political gbege start—wey dem sef form demma own government. Yhombi-Opango resign on 13 January 1995 make Lissouba fit talk to other parties to form new government; but dem reappoint am sharp sharp as Prime Minister, and de new government wey dem announce on 23 January include four people from de opposition Union for Democratic Renewal (URD).

Some people inside UPADS wey come from Lissouba ein own Téke ethnic group start dey shout make Yhombi-Opango step down for 1996, sake of say dem want make Prime Minister too be Téke like dem. So Yhombi-Opango resign on 23 August 1996; then Lissouba appoint Charles David Ganao to take over on 27 August.

Sassou-Nguesso ein visit to Owando, wey be Yhombi-Opango ein political base, for May 1997 spark gbege between demma supporters. From dat fight, civil war burst out for June, wey lead to Lissouba ein removal for October 1997. Yhombi-Opango support Lissouba during de war as leader of de Presidential Majority. But afta Sassou-Nguesso win, Yhombi-Opango run go exile for Côte d'Ivoire plus France.

### Exile
For December 2001, Yhombi-Opango join hand plus two other exiled politicians—Lissouba plus Bernard Kolélas—wey all reject de electoral process wey Sassou-Nguesso start, say e no be transparent. Dem three call make people do passive boycott of de January 2002 constitutional referendum.

Late December 2001, court sentence Yhombi-Opango in absentia to 20 years hard labor for embezzlement. Dem convict Lissouba too (dem give am 30 years) plus three other former government people: former prime minister Claude Antoine Dacosta, former Minister of Finance Nguila Mougounga Nkombo, plus former Minister of Oil Benoit Koukebene. De embezzlement charge come from say dem—Lissouba, Yhombi-Opango plus demma people—do corrupt deal plus Occidental Petroleum to sell oil give dem for $150 million US dollars back in 1993; dem talk say de oil cost pass dat plenty. Dem say de money no reach Treasury; instead, dem keep part for private account insyd Belgium, plus use de rest for campaign purposes. Claudine Munari, wey be Director of de Cabinet by then, defend dem say dem no get any choice for dat time, plus de money go pay salary wey people dey owe plus prepare de 1993 parliamentary election. Dem charge dem again say dem misuse public funds, but dem no get conviction for dat one.

Wahala come burst for RDD leadership top in 2005. Yhombi-Opango, wey still dey exile dat time, tell de party leaders for Congo-Brazzaville make dem go meet de ruling PCT. But Saturnin Okabé, wey dey lead de party sake of Yhombi-Opango ein absence, say he no go do am. Dis refusal vex Yhombi-Opango well well.

### Return
De Congolese Council of Ministers approve amnesty for Yhombi-Opango on 18 May 2007. E return come Congo-Brazzaville on 10 August 2007, plus thousands of ein supporters come dey ground to welcome am. For one meeting of de RDD Steering Committee on 8 September 2007, Yhombi-Opango take back de leadership of de party from interim president Saturnin Okabé plus Secretary-General Martial Mathieu Kani. For dat time, Yhombi-Opango talk say e go reorganize de party plus make e strong again for de national political level.

From 2007 till e die for 2020, Yhombi-Opango plus ein wifey dey share dem time between Congo plus France.

## Ein life matter
Yhombi-Opango spend over one year for France sake of medical reasons before e come back Brazzaville on 1 June 2013.

Joachim Yhombi-Opango die on 30 March 2020, for American Hospital of Paris wey dey Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, from COVID-19, wey catch am for age 81. Na ein son, Jean-Jacques Yhombi Opango, first confirm say e don die through phone call plus Agence France-Presse. Télé Congo, wey be de national TV station for de country, confirm de info again during dem evening news show.

Dem bury am for Owando, Congo, on 31 October 2020.

## References