Bernard Kolélas

**Bernard Bakana Kolélas** (12 June 1933 &#x2013; 13 November 2009) be one Congo politician wey be de Presido of de Congolese Movement for Democracy plus Integral Development (MCDDI). Kolélas fight against de one-party rule wey de Congolese Labour Party (PCT) dey do long time. Wen dem introduce multiparty politics for early 1990s, Kolélas come turn one of de top political leaders for Congo-Brazzaville. For August 1992 presidential election inside, e come second afta Pascal Lissouba. Later, e be Mayor for Brazzaville, de capital city, during mid-1990s, plus e serve small time as Prime Minister during de 1997 civil war. But as rebel forces win de war, e run go exile for 8 years. Afta dem grant amnesty, e fit come back, plus dem elect am go de National Assembly for 2007.

## Education den early political career
Kolélas be native from Congo-Brazzaville ein Pool Region. Dem born am for Mboloki (wey dem dey call Mpayaka), wey dey insyd Pool ein Kinkala District, for 1933. He go primary plus secondary school for de nearby administrative capital, Brazzaville. He join Union for de Defense of de Interests of Africans (UDDIA) for 1958. Under Fulbert Youlou, wey be Congo-Brazzaville ein first President, Kolélas serve small time as Secretary-General for de Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 1961. But after dem oust Youlou and Alphonse Massemba-Débat take power for August 1963, dem appoint Kolélas as Minister of Foreign Affairs, but he no wan take am; he talk say de post for go to David Charles Ganao. After dat, dem arrest Kolélas for September 1963, he stay one month for jail. Dem arrest am again for February 1964, but dem release am because of Prime Minister Pascal Lissouba ein request. After dat, he go exile cross de Congo River go Kinshasa, wey be de capital of Democratic Republic of de Congo, wey he start one opposition newspaper, *La Résistance*.

## Activities during PCT rule
For November 1969, Kolélas try make coup d'état against President Marien Ngouabi, but e no succeed. Dem sentence am to death, but later dem grant am reprieve and release am on 1 January 1972. Later, dem arrest am again for August 1978 say e dey part of another plot, but dem release am for 1980. After dat, he go live for Brazzaville ein Bacongo district. Kolélas write letters give President Denis Sassou Nguesso on 7 November 1988 plus 20 November 1989, wey he take propose make dem do national roundtable discussion about de country ein problems.

## MCDDI den URD
Later Kolélas form ein own political party, wey be de MCDDI; dem file de party ein statutes for de Ministry of de Interior on 3 August 1989. For de June–July 1992 parliamentary election, he win seat for National Assembly as MCDDI candidate for Goma Tsé-Tsé constituency wey dey insyd Pool Region. Kolélas then contest as MCDDI candidate for de August 1992 presidential election, where he come second. For de first round, he get 20.32% of de vote, behind Pascal Lissouba of de Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (UPADS) plus ahead of PCT demma candidate, President Sassou Nguesso. E get strong support for Pool Region, where he win 64.4% for de first round; he no win any other region for first round, but he come first for Brazzaville plus 29.9%. For second round, de PCT support Lissouba, and Kolélas lose, get 38.68%. But he win second round majority for Pool Region (88.71%), Brazzaville (56.80%), plus Kouilou Region (50.77%), even though he do very bad for de rest of de country.

After de 1992 election, Congo politics enter wahala time. Kolélas lead opposition coalition wey dem call Union for Democratic Renewal (URD), wey form alliance plus de PCT—even though Kolélas bin oppose de PCT before. De fight between de government plus opposition turn more bloody after de May–June 1993 parliamentary election. Around 2,000 people die for political violence between 1993 and 1994. For January 1994, army block Brazzaville ein Bacongo district—Kolélas ein Ninja militia stronghold—and attack dem heavy. But on 30 January 1994, dem sign agreement wey reduce de violence, and by June 1994, Lissouba and Kolélas show public reconciliation. For July 1994, Kolélas win as Mayor of Brazzaville.

## 1997 civil war
During de 1997 civil war, Kolélas be de President for de National Mediation Committee. President Lissouba, wey dey try hold ein position tight and settle de gbege by bringing opponents enter government, appoint Kolélas as Prime Minister to lead one government of national unity for September 1997. Dis Kolélas ein government get 41 members. Even though dem offer some minister positions to de rebel coalition wey dey support Sassou Nguesso, de rebels no gree—dem reject de offer.

Lissouba plus Kolélas dem both get overthrown and run enter exile after Sassou-Nguesso ein loyal forces capture Brazzaville on 14 October 1997. Ninja rebels wey dey loyal to Kolélas still dey fight small time afta dat. For November 1998, Kolélas ignore government offer make dem do dialogue. Then for December 1998, some pro-Kolélas rebels try capture Brazzaville but dem no succeed. Kolélas wey dey U.S. at dat time talk say ein forces dey control de city proper, and hint say he fit come back to come lead de country. But government brush off ein claims talk say na dem army dey run tins pass. Few days later, Kolélas talk say de rebellion na de youth dem rise up, but dem fail because Angola soldiers help de government crush am.

## Exile den return
On 4 May 2000, one Congolese court sentence Kolélas to death in absentia for illegal arrest, kidnapping, plus rape. But for October 2005, he return come Congo from exile to attend ein wife Jacqueline ein funeral. President Sassou Nguesso give am special amnesty on humanitarian grounds make e fit come. As Kolélas dey come back, excitement for Bacongo district (ein stronghold) turn yawa—clashes happen between ein supporters plus police on 13 October just before ein arrival. Then on 23 November 2005, de National Assembly pass law wey grant Kolélas full amnesty.

On behalf of ein party, Kolélas sign agreement plus de Congolese Labour Party (PCT) on 24 April 2007 to create electoral alliance. For de 2007 parliamentary election wey come after, Kolélas win de National Assembly seat for Goma Tsé-Tsé constituency as MCDDI candidate. He beat two challengers and win am straight for de first round wit 86.44% of de vote. As de oldest MP wey enter de new National Assembly, na Kolélas preside over de first meeting on 4 September 2007 wey dem take elect de Assembly bureau.

But later, dem report say Kolélas dey suffer from Alzheimer disease, and he land for hospital for Paris end of 2007. By 2009, he still dey Paris for long medical treatment before he die there early morning of 13 November 2009. He be 76 years old.

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