Henri Lopès
Encyclopedia
Henri Lopès is a Congolese
writer, diplomat, and political figure. He was Prime Minister of Congo-Brazzaville from 1973 to 1975, and since 1998 he has been Congo-Brazzaville's Ambassador to France
.
in Leopoldville
(now Kinshasa
), the capital of the Belgian Congo
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo
). He received his primary education in Brazzaville
and Bangui
, then went to France in 1949 for his secondary and higher education. While there, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Black African Students and was President of the Association of Congolese Students from 1957 to 1965. Returning to Congo in 1965, he was a history professor at the Ecole normale supérieure d'Afrique Centrale in Brazzaville
from 1965 to 1966, then Director-General of Education from 1966 to 1968.
Under President Marien Ngouabi
, Lopès was Minister of National Education from January 1969 until becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs in December 1971. He was included on the five-member Political Bureau of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in December 1972. Subsequently he was Prime Minister from 1973 to 1975. He visited China
in early 1975, but could not meet with Chairman Mao Zedong
because Mao was ill. Lopès and his government resigned following a meeting of the PCT Central Committee in December 1975, and Louis Sylvain Goma
was appointed to replace him.
After working as political director of Etumba from 1975 to 1977, Lopès was reappointed to the government as Minister of Finance on 5 April 1977; he served in that position until Justin Lekoundzou
was appointed to replace him in December 1980. Subsequently he worked at UNESCO
as Assistant Director-General for Culture and Deputy Director-General for Africa from 1981 to 1998.
On 26 October 1998, Lopès presented his credentials as Congo-Brazzaville's Ambassador to France; while posted in Paris
, he was additionally accredited as Ambassador to the United Kingdom
, Portugal
, Spain
, and the Vatican City
.
In 2002, Lopès was a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of La Francophonie
, but he withdrew his candidacy under pressure on the night before the vote, which was held on 20 October 2002 and resulted in the unanimous election of Senegal
's Abdou Diouf
.
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
writer, diplomat, and political figure. He was Prime Minister of Congo-Brazzaville from 1973 to 1975, and since 1998 he has been Congo-Brazzaville's Ambassador to France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Political and diplomatic career
Lopès was born across the Congo RiverCongo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
in Leopoldville
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
(now Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
), the capital of the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
(now the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
). He received his primary education in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
and Bangui
Bangui
-Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...
, then went to France in 1949 for his secondary and higher education. While there, he was a member of the Executive Committee of the Federation of Black African Students and was President of the Association of Congolese Students from 1957 to 1965. Returning to Congo in 1965, he was a history professor at the Ecole normale supérieure d'Afrique Centrale in Brazzaville
Brazzaville
-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
from 1965 to 1966, then Director-General of Education from 1966 to 1968.
Under President Marien Ngouabi
Marien Ngouabi
Marien Ngouabi was the military President of the Republic of the Congo from January 1, 1969 to March 18, 1977.-Origins:...
, Lopès was Minister of National Education from January 1969 until becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs in December 1971. He was included on the five-member Political Bureau of the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in December 1972. Subsequently he was Prime Minister from 1973 to 1975. He visited China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in early 1975, but could not meet with Chairman Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
because Mao was ill. Lopès and his government resigned following a meeting of the PCT Central Committee in December 1975, and Louis Sylvain Goma
Louis Sylvain Goma
Louis Sylvain Goma is a Congolese politician. Goma was the Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo from 18 December 1975 to 7 August 1984 under three successive Heads of State: Marien Ngouabi, Jacques Yhombi-Opango, and Denis Sassou Nguesso.Prime Minister Henri Lopès and his government...
was appointed to replace him.
After working as political director of Etumba from 1975 to 1977, Lopès was reappointed to the government as Minister of Finance on 5 April 1977; he served in that position until Justin Lekoundzou
Justin Lekoundzou
Justin Lekoundzou Itihi Ossetoumba is a Congolese politician. He is a founding member of the Congolese Labour Party , and during the PCT's single-party rule he held important party and government positions in the 1970s and 1980s...
was appointed to replace him in December 1980. Subsequently he worked at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as Assistant Director-General for Culture and Deputy Director-General for Africa from 1981 to 1998.
On 26 October 1998, Lopès presented his credentials as Congo-Brazzaville's Ambassador to France; while posted in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, he was additionally accredited as Ambassador to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and the Vatican City
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
.
In 2002, Lopès was a candidate for the post of Secretary-General of La Francophonie
La Francophonie
Francophonie is an international organization of politics and governments with French as the mother or customary language, where a significant proportion of people are francophones , or where there is a notable affiliation with the French language or culture.Formally known as the Organisation...
, but he withdrew his candidacy under pressure on the night before the vote, which was held on 20 October 2002 and resulted in the unanimous election of Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
's Abdou Diouf
Abdou Diouf
Abdou Diouf was the second President of Senegal, serving from 1981 to 2000. Diouf is notable both for coming to power by peaceful succession, and leaving willingly after losing the 2000 presidential election to Abdoulaye Wade...
.
As a writer
In addition to his distinguished political and diplomatic career, Lopès has earned distinction as a literary author. Perhaps his most acclaimed work is the satirical novel Le Pleurer-rire ("The Laughing Cry", 1982). Other works include the short-story collection Tribaliques ("Tribaliks," 1971), as well as the novels La Nouvelle romance (1975) and Sans tam-tam (1977). Tribaliques received the Grand Prix Littéraire de l'afrique noire in 1972, and in 1993 Lopès received the Grand prix de la francophonie for his entire body of work.External links
- "Interview with Henri Lopès, by Boniface Mongo-Mboussa", Africultures.com, October 1997.