Joachim Yhombi-Opango

Joachim- Jacques Yhombi - Opango (* 1939) was from 1977 to 1979 President of the Republic of Congo.

Life

Yhombi - Opango embarked on a military career, in 1965 his country's military attaché in Moscow and in 1968 as Colonel Chief of Staff and Commander of the Brazzaville region. From 1973 to 1974 he was Chief of Staff of the Army and in 1975 defense minister and member of the Central Committee of the Unity Party Parti Congolais du Travail ( PCT).

President

After assassination of the ruling since 1968 president Marien Ngouabi, who was his cousin, on 18 March 1977, he has been designated by the now ruling junta, to which he belonged on 3 April 1977 the new head of state. On 5 February 1979 he was forced out of the office and a few days later Denis Sassou Nguesso was for the next 13 years his successor. Were accused of Yhombi - Opango corruption and " deviation from the party line " of the PCT, which at that time closely modeled on the Soviet Union. He was initially asked for five years under house arrest and imprisoned in 1987 after a failed coup. For a time, Amnesty International began campaigning for his release. In July 1990 he was granted amnesty.

Prime minister

Under President Pascal Lissouba he was between 23 June 1993 and August 27, 1996 Prime Minister before then broke a multi-year civil war, during which Sassou Nguesso in 1997 again became president. In a corruption case against Lissouba the end of 2001, which remained a precaution in his London exile, even Yhombi - Opangos name was always mentioned. That case involved the use of oil revenues in the Congo during both tenure.

He later reconciled with Sassou Nguesso, but lives in Paris. Both met there on 19 July 2004.