Sangara was elected by a decisive Assembly vote on Thursday evening, securing the backing of 413 out of 423 deputies present. Running unopposed, he succeeds his mentor, Vital Kamerhe, who resigned in September ahead of a planned removal vote.
Hailing from South Kivu in eastern DRC, 57-year-old Sangara has nearly two decades of political experience. He represented Walungu Territory from 2006 to 2019 and was reelected in 2023. Holding a master’s degree in development economics from the University of Oxford, Sangara has served in multiple ministerial roles, including Minister of Foreign Trade, Minister of Budget, and most recently, Minister of Industry.
A member of the Union for the Congolese Nation, Sangara’s extensive government experience has prompted debate over his political alignment whether his loyalties lie primarily with his party or with President Félix Tshisekedi and the ruling Sacred Union of the Nation coalition.
