Pascal Lissouba

Pascal Lissouba, born in 1931, president of the Republic of the Congo (1992-1997). Lissouba was born in Tsingidi, in the southern part of the country, a member of the Nibolek ethnic group. Trained in Tunisia and France as an agronomist, he received a doctoral degree in biology from the University of Paris. After the Congo became independent in 1960, Lissouba served simultaneously as prime minister and minister of trade, industry, and agriculture (1963-1966). Between 1966 and 1977 Lissouba held various professional and ministerial positions in Brazzaville, the capital of the Congo. He was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for complicity in the 1977 assassination of President Marien Ngouabi, a sentence that was later reduced to exile. Lissouba spent most of his exile in Kenya, not returning to the Congo until the legalization of opposition parties in 1991. He became the leader of the Pan-African Union for Social Democracy (French acronym, UPADS) political party, and took 61 percent of the vote in a runoff contest for the country’s presidency in August 1992.

Strikes, violent civil unrest, and a changing coalition of opposition parties threatened Lissouba's regime from the start. An ethnic-based militia led by former president Denis Sassou-Nguesso periodically clashed with government forces. After Lissouba’s UPADS and allied parties retained a shaky majority in May 1993 legislative elections, several months of armed conflict ensued. A cease-fire was established in 1994, but a mediation force failed to disarm Sassou-Nguesso’s militia. In mid-1997 war broke out again between Sassou-Nguesso’s faction and the government. In October Sassou-Nguesso overthrew Lissouba, and Lissouba fled the country. Under Sassou-Nguesso’s direction, Lissouba was tried and convicted in absentia for treason.