Faustin Birindwa (1943 – 29 April 1999) was a

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

lese politician. A technocrat, he was an advisor to

Étienne Tshisekedi Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba (14 December 1932 – 1 February 2017) was a Congolese politician and the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the main opposing political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC ...

and was named his

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

in October 1991, though Birindwa never took office. He became foreign minister in August 1992. After Tshisekedi was dismissed by

Mobutu Sese Seko Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga (; born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu; 14 October 1930 – 7 September 1997) was a Congolese politician and military officer who was the president of Zaire from 1965 to 1997 (known as the Democratic Republic ...

, Birindwa became Prime Minister on 18 March 1993 as a member of the pro-Mobutu Forces Politiques du Conclave. As a result, he was expelled from the Union for Democracy and Social Progress. As Prime Minister, Birindwa attempted to deal with the economic crisis. He announced monetary reform and instituted a new currency in September 1993, with anyone who refused to accept the currency facing imprisonment. Nonetheless, inflation by the end of the year was estimated at 9,000 percent. He attempted to hold elections but was stifled by supporters of Étienne Tshisekedi, who claimed he was the legitimate prime minister. In 1994, after a decision by the Haut Conseil de la Republique/Parlement du Transition, Birindwa stepped down as prime minister. He was succeeded by Kengo Wa Dondo, whose election in June 1994 was controversial among the opposition. Birindwa died on 29 April 1999 in Italy of a heart attack.Weekly News Issue
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References

1943 births 1999 deaths Prime Ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Finance ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Government ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo {{DRCongo-politician-stub