Benjamin Bounkoulou

Benjamin Bounkoulou (born 25 September 1942) is a Congolese politician who served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1992 to 1995 under President Pascal Lissouba. He has been President of the Union for the Republic (UR), a political party, since 1995. Bounkoulou was Second Vice-President of the National Transitional Council from 1998 to 2002 and First Vice-President of the Senate from 2002 to 2011. After failing to win re-election to the Senate in 2011, he was instead elected to the National Assembly in 2012 and served as President of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Commission.

Bounkoulou was born in Kinkengué, located in southern Congo. From 1967 to 1975, he worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; at the ministry, he held the post of Director of Political Affairs. Bounkoulou was Diplomatic Adviser to President Marien Ngouabi from 1975 to 1976. Subsequently, he was Congo's Ambassador to Angola from 1976 to 1979 and was Ambassador to Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, and Tunisia from 1978 to 1983. He served as Ambassador to the Organization of African Unity and Ethiopia from 1983 to 1987.

On 19 November 1987, Bounkoulou was appointed as Congo-Brazzaville's Ambassador to the United States; he presented his credentials on 21 December 1987. He was replaced by Roger Issombo in May 1990.

In 1990, Bounkoulou returned to Congo as Director-General of the Congolese Maritime Transport Company (Socotram) and remained in that post for two years.Pascal Lissouba won the August 1992 presidential election, and after taking office he appointed Bounkoulou to the government as Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Hydrocarbons in September 1992. Bounkoulou left the government in 1995.

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