Pierre Lumbi

Pierre Lumbi Okongo Born in Costermansville, Belgian Congo (now Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo)(11 March 195014 June 2020) was a Congolese activist, politician, and opposition leader. He was a prominent figure in the political landscape of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), known for his involvement in opposition movements and his role in advocating for political change.

Early life and education

Pierre Lumbi Okongo, a native of Maniema, was born in 1950 in Bukavu to a modest family. Around 1954, his family was expelled to Burundi due to his father's involvement in the Mouvement national congolais-Lumumba and the Kitawala politico-religious movement, which opposed the Belgian colonial regime.
He completed his primary education at the École Primaire des Frères de la Charité Buyenzi in Burundi (1956–1963) and his secondary education at the Collège Saint Paul in Bukavu (DR Congo), where he earned his state diploma in biochemistry (1963–1971). He then returned to Bujumbura and enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine at the Université Officielle du Burundi (UOB). However, after the tragic events that shook Burundi in 1972 (Ikiza), he received a scholarship and left for France. There, he pursued higher education in Lyon, earning a degree in clinical psychology.

Social and civic engagement

In 1978, Pierre Lumbi Okongo decided to return to his country (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and chose to reorganize rural farmers by creating "Solidarité paysanne" in the city of Uvira in 1980, the very first secular Non-governmental organization (NGO) in the DRC. For 10 years, he coordinated several actions of "Solidarité Paysanne", particularly in advocacy and the social and economic development of farming communities. Initially in the Ruzizi Plain (in the Uvira region), then in the former Kivu province and the three new provinces created after the Kivu's division, before expanding to the entire country. Among the key activities of "Solidarité Paysanne" are:

* The creation of cooperatives for farmers (Mkulima), livestock breeders (Butuzi), and fishermen (COJEPU, Virugwe) in the Ruzizi Plain (in Uvira);
* Establishing the Sugarcane Growers Cooperative (COPASUKI);
* Setting up cooperative networks (FERCOOP and INTERCOOP) in South Kivu, North Kivu, and Maniema;
* Literacy programs for rural women (Projet Alpha), provision of drinking water (PEP), improving rural housing, and environmental protection (reforestation project) in the Ruzizi Plain;
* Establishing the Katobwe CEP, which oversaw projects on ox-drawn plows, plow cultivation, improving yields for farmers, livestock breeders, poultry farmers, fishers, rice growers, and fruit tree growers;
* Creating a training center (CF Bagira) in Bukavu, a free legal assistance office for farmers (BAJ), and a support and training program for single mothers (Maison de la femme);
* In Kinshasa, Solidarité Paysanne created a Chamber of Trades to promote and support artisans from the communes of Ndjili and Kimbanseke, as well as a national farmers' union (ASP), as well as a national farmer exchange and training program (PIEF).

Throughout his social engagement, Pierre Lumbi Okongo participated in international debates on the exploitation of the Third World, including the "Campaign: mieux se nourrir, vaincre la fin" in the 1980s.

Political engagement

His entry into politics dates back to April 1990, when President Mobutu decided to liberalize political activities. Under the initiative of Pierre Lumbi Okongo, through his organization "Solidarité Paysanne," the country’s social organizations organized themselves into a national civil society