André-Philippe Futa

André- Philippe Futa (* 1946 in the province of Kasai - Oriental, † October 1, 2009 in Paris) was a politician of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Biography

Futa studied post-school first agricultural engineering at the University of Florida and graduated with a masters. He then completed a degree in economics at Oklahoma State University System, where he earned a doctorate. After his return to Zaire, he began his career in the 1970s as an assistant professor at the National University of Zaire. Later he was director of the Division East Africa with the African Development Bank ( Banque africaine de développement ).

After the assassination of Laurent- Désiré Kabila and the assumption of office by his son Joseph Kabila as president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Futa was appointed Minister of Agriculture in the Cabinet in April 2001. In the following time he first took over in 2002 the Office of the Minister of Economy and then after a cabinet reshuffle in 2003, first the post of minister of industry and small and medium-sized companies and then finance minister.

In 2004 he founded the Party of National Alliance for the unit ( Parti de l' alliance national pour l' unité ) and was its president until his death. As such, he played a key role in the election of Kabila as president in July 2006 due to its role as coordinator of the Alliance for the Presidential Majority ( Alliance de la majorité présidentielle ) and became one of the President's closest advisors.

In 2007 he was elected to represent his home province of Kasai - Oriental to the Senator. A year later he was appointed Kabila as Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade in a key position in the Cabinet formed by Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga. He held this office in the government of Gizengas successor as Prime Minister, Adolphe Muzito, from 10 October 2008, serving.

In his role as an economic and foreign trade minister, he took in late September 2009 on 12 America -South Africa Summit in Venezuela with representatives of 60 States from the two regions part. On the return flight, he died unexpectedly in a hotel in Paris.

Interim President of the Parti de l' alliance national pour l' unité ( PANU ) was the deputy Crispin Kalala Mpotoyi.