Judith Suminwa
{{Short description|Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Judith Suminwa
| image = TULUKA 2023 (profile).jpg
| caption = Suminwa in 2023
| office = Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
| president = Félix Tshisekedi
| status =
| term_start = 12 June 2024
| term_end =
| predecessor = Sama Lukonde
| successor =
| office1 = Minister of State
Minister of Planning
| primeminister1 = Sama Lukonde
| term_start1 = 24 March 2023
| term_end1 = April 2024
| predecessor1 = {{ill|Christian Mwando Nsimba|lt=Christian Mwando Nsimba|fr}}
| successor1 = Eustache Muhanzi (interim)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1967|10|19|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kongo Central, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Union for Democracy and Social Progress
| spouse = Roger Tuluka
| education = Catholic university of Mons
Université libre de Bruxelles
}}
Judith Suminwa Tuluka (born 19 October 1967) is a Congolese politician who has served as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2024, and is the first woman to hold the position. Prior to her tenure as prime minister she was Minister of State and Minister of Planning.
Early life and education
Judith Suminwa Tuluka was born in Kongo Central,{{sfn|Ba-Mweze|2024}} on 19 October 1967.{{sfn|Embassy of the DRC Republic in Nairobi}} Her father was the ambassador to Chad during Mobutu Sese Seko's presidency.{{sfn|Duhem|2024}} She graduated from the Catholic university of Mons with a bachelor's degree in applied economic sciences{{sfn|Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative}} and from Université libre de Bruxelles with a master's degree in applied economics.{{sfn|Judith Suminwa Tuluka devient la première femme Première ministre de la RDC|2024}}{{sfn|Duhem|2024}} She returned to the DRC in 1997, and worked at Citibank.{{sfn|Duhem|2024}}
Career
Suminwa applied to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and worked as an administrative and financial assistant before becoming a member of the United Nations Development Programme.{{sfn|Duhem|2024}}
She is a member of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS).{{sfn|Judith Suminwa Tuluka devient la première femme Première ministre de la RDC|2024}} She was deputy coordinator of the Presidential Council for Strategic Monitoring. She was appointed to the Lukonde cabinet as Minister of State and Minister of Planning in 2023.{{sfn|Lokale|2023}}
Prime Minister Sama Lukonde submitted his resignation on 21 February 2024.{{sfn|RDC: Judith Suminwa Tuluka nommée Première ministre|2024}} She is the first woman to serve as prime minister.{{sfn|Judith Suminwa Tuluka devient la première femme Première ministre de la RDC|2024}} Her initial cabinet contained 54 people, with 18 being women.{{sfn|Fischer|2024}}
Personal life
Suminwa is married to Roger Tuluka, a former classmate of Félix Tshisekedi who she met in Belgium in the 1990s.{{sfn|Duhem|2024}}
Political positions
Suminwa has been critical of Rwanda for its occupation of areas in eastern DRC and accused it of supporting rebel groups, such as the Congo River Alliance, to overthrow the DRC's government.{{sfn|A Addis-Abeba, Judith Suminwa met en lumière les affres de l’agression rwandaise dans l’Est de la RDC|2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Works cited
{{refbegin|30em}}
=News=
- {{Cite news |date=15 February 2025 |title=A Addis-Abeba, Judith Suminwa met en lumière les affres de l’agression rwandaise dans l’Est de la RDC |work=Radio Okapi |url=https://www.radiookapi.net/2025/02/15/actualite/politique/addis-abeba-judith-suminwa-met-en-lumiere-les-affres-de-lagression |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623153741/https://www.radiookapi.net/2025/02/15/actualite/politique/addis-abeba-judith-suminwa-met-en-lumiere-les-affres-de-lagression |archive-date=23 June 2025 |ref={{harvid|A Addis-Abeba, Judith Suminwa met en lumière les affres de l’agression rwandaise dans l’Est de la RDC|2025}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=1 April 2024 |title=Judith Suminwa Tuluka devient la première femme Première ministre de la RDC |work=Le Baobab |url=https://lebaobab.net/2024/04/01/judith-suminwa-tuluka-devient-la-premiere-femme-premiere-ministre-de-la-rdc/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623150145/https://lebaobab.net/2024/04/01/judith-suminwa-tuluka-devient-la-premiere-femme-premiere-ministre-de-la-rdc/ |archive-date=23 June 2025 |ref={{harvid|Judith Suminwa Tuluka devient la première femme Première ministre de la RDC|2024}}}}
- {{Cite news |date=1 April 2024 |title=RDC: Judith Suminwa Tuluka nommée Première ministre |work=RTBF |url=https://www.rtbf.be/article/rdc-judith-suminwa-tuluka-nommee-premiere-ministre-11352720 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623150402/https://www.rtbf.be/article/rdc-judith-suminwa-tuluka-nommee-premiere-ministre-11352720 |archive-date=23 June 2025 |ref={{harvid|RDC: Judith Suminwa Tuluka nommée Première ministre|2024}}}}
- {{Cite news |last=Ba-Mweze |first=Jean-Noël |date=2 April 2024 |title=Judith Suminwa, première femme cheffe du gouvernement en RDC |work=Deutsche Welle |url=https://www.dw.com/fr/judith-suminwa-premiere-femme-cheffe-du-gouvernement-en-rdc/a-68725628 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623153332/https://www.dw.com/fr/judith-suminwa-premiere-femme-cheffe-du-gouvernement-en-rdc/a-68725628 |archive-date=23 June 2025}}
- {{Cite news |last=Duhem |first=Vincent |date=8 April 2024 |title=DRC: 10 things to know about new PM Judith Suminwa Tuluka |work=The Africa Report |url=https://www.theafricareport.com/343123/drc-10-things-to-know-about-new-pm-judith-suminwa-tuluka/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623150548/https://www.theafricareport.com/343123/drc-10-things-to-know-about-new-pm-judith-suminwa-tuluka/ |archive-date=23 June 2025}}
- {{Cite news |last=Lokale |first=Prisca |date=27 March 2023 |title=RDC-Sama Lukonde II : ce qu'il faut savoir de Judith Tuluka Suminwa, la nouvelle ministre d’Etat en charge du Plan |work=Actualite |url=https://actualite.cd/2023/03/27/rdc-sama-lukonde-ii-ce-quil-faut-savoir-de-judith-tuluka-suminwa-la-nouvelle-ministre |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623151949/https://actualite.cd/2023/03/27/rdc-sama-lukonde-ii-ce-quil-faut-savoir-de-judith-tuluka-suminwa-la-nouvelle-ministre |archive-date=23 June 2025}}
- {{Cite news |last=Fischer |first=Nikolas |date=20 September 2024 |title=Congo govt.'s first 100 days see many goals, few results |work=Deutsche Welle |url=https://www.dw.com/en/congo-tulukas-first-100-days-of-ambition-and-challenges/a-70284042 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623152321/https://www.dw.com/en/congo-tulukas-first-100-days-of-ambition-and-challenges/a-70284042 |archive-date=23 June 2025}}
=Web=
- {{Cite web |title=Embassy of the DRC Republic in Nairobi |publisher=Embassy of the DRC Republic in Nairobi |url=https://ambardcke.org/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623152846/https://ambardcke.org/ |archive-date=23 June 2025 |access-date=23 June 2025 |ref={{harvid|Embassy of the DRC Republic in Nairobi}}}}
- {{Cite web |title=Hon. Judith Suminwa Tuluka |publisher=Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative |url=https://eiti.org/2023-eiti-global-conference/people/hon-judith-suminwa-tuluka |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250623151353/https://eiti.org/2023-eiti-global-conference/people/hon-judith-suminwa-tuluka |archive-date=23 June 2025 |ref={{harvid|Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative}}}}
{{refend}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{s-bef|before=Sama Lukonde}}
{{s-ttl|title=Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo|years=2024–present}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-end}}
{{Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
{{Current heads of government}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Suminwa, Judith}}
Category:Prime ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Category:Free University of Brussels (1834–1969) alumni
Category:21st-century Democratic Republic of the Congo politicians
Category:Women prime ministers in Africa
Category:Women government ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo