Pierre Oba

Pierre Oba (born July 17, 1953) is a Congolese politician. He has served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville since 1997 and is currently Minister of Mines and Geology. He is also a Général de Brigade of the National Police.[1]

Contents

Background and early military–political career

Oba was born in Ollembé, in the Ollombo District of Plateaux Region.[1] He is a cousin of Congolese President Denis Sassou-Nguesso.[2] Oba became Director of Presidential Security in 1984[2][3] and was named Director-General of Public Security on September 11, 1987.[2] In 1989, he was elected to the Central Committee of the ruling Congolese Labour Party (PCT).[2][3]

Along with Colonel Michel Ngakala, he created the "Cobras", a militia loyal to opposition leader Sassou-Nguesso, in 1993.[4]

Political career since 1997

When Sassou-Nguesso returned to power in 1997, Oba was appointed as Minister of the Interior, Security, and Territorial Administration on November 2, 1997.[5] He was the only member of the government who did not stand as a candidate in the May–June 2002 parliamentary election.[6] After the election, in the government named on August 18, 2002, Oba was appointed as Minister of Security and Police.[7][8] Later, in the government named on January 7, 2005, he was moved to the position of Minister of Mines, Mining Industries, and Geology.[9]

Following the death of Jean-Baptiste Tati Loutard, the Minister of State for Hydrocarbons, in July 2009, Oba additionally managed his portfolio in an interim capacity.[10] He was retained as Minister of Mines and Geology in the government appointed on 15 September 2009, but was released from his interim responsibility for the hydrocarbons portfolio.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b Short official biography (French).
  2. ^ a b c d Rémy Bazenguissa-Ganga, Les voies du politique au Congo: essai de sociologie historique (1997), Karthala Editions, pages 292 and 443.
  3. ^ a b "Who's Who", Congo Brazzaville: Les Hommes de Pouvoir n°1, Africa Intelligence, 29 October 2002 (French).
  4. ^ Mbow M. Amphas, Political Transformations of the Congo (2000), Pentland Press, page 102.
  5. ^ List of members of the government appointed in November 1997, Afrique Express (French).
  6. ^ "Elections législatives : le ministère de l’Intérieur publie la liste officielle des 1 199 candidats", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, May 14 2002 (French).
  7. ^ "Formation d’un nouveau gouvernement", Afrique Express, N° 254, September 2, 2002 (French).
  8. ^ List of government ministers, presse-francophone.org (2002 archive) (French).
  9. ^ List of government ministers of the Republic of the Congo, presse-francophone.org (French).
  10. ^ Willy Mbossa, "Parlement : le Sénat adopte la réglementation sur la pêche, le partage de production pétrolière, et la propagande anticonceptionnelle", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 30 August 2009 (French).
  11. ^ "GOUVERNEMENT - La nouvelle équipe compte trente-sept membres", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 16 September 2009 (French).

External links