Fernand Kikongi di Mwisa (1 September 1935 – 1 April 2009) was a Congolese trade union leader. Born in

Kinshasa Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville from 1881–1966 (), is the Capital city, capital and Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-grow ...

, Kikongi was educated at the School of Social Studies in

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

, before returning to

Zaire Zaire, officially the Republic of Zaire, was the name of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1971 to 18 May 1997. Located in Central Africa, it was, by area, the third-largest country in Africa after Sudan and Algeria, and the 11th-la ...

, where he became the general secretary of the

National Union of Congolese Workers The National Union of Workers of the Congo (, UNTC) is the largest trade union centre in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was formerly known as the National Union of Workers of Zaire (''Union Nationale des Travailleurs du Zaïre'', UNTZa) ...

, and then president of the Congolese Trade Union Confederation. Internationally, he was elected as president of the Democratic Organization of African Workers' Trade Unions, and then from 1997 was president of the

World Confederation of Labour The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) was an international labour organization founded in 1920 and based in Europe. Fascist governments of the 1930s repressed the federation and imprisoned many of its leaders, limiting operations until the end o ...

. He retired in 2001 and suffered a lengthy illness, dying in 2009.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kikongi, Fernand 1935 births 2009 deaths Democratic Republic of the Congo trade unionists People from Kinshasa 21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo people