Minister Profile

André-Philippe Futa Mudiumbula Tshitumbu Tshipadi (born in Miabi on August 26, 1946; died on October 1, 2009, in the 8th arrondissement of Paris) was a Congolese politician. He served as Minister of Agriculture in Joseph Kabila's first government in 2001, and subsequently as Minister of Finance in the transitional government from September 2003 to November 2005—a post in which he was succeeded by Marco Banguli on November 18, 2005. He served as Minister of National Economy and Trade in the Gizenga II government and later in the Muzito government, holding the position until his death. Academically, André-Philippe Futa graduated with distinction as an agricultural engineer from the Official University of the Congo. In 1972, he became an assistant professor at the National University of Zaire. He moved to the United States around 1974 and enrolled at the University of Florida, where he earned a master's degree in Natural Resource Economics in 1976. He obtained his Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University in 1979.

Professionally, the family settled in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, in 1980, where Futa joined the African Development Bank (AfDB) and rose through the ranks. In 1997, he was seconded to the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) to serve as its Director. Two years later, he returned to the AfDB as Director for East Africa at the regional office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In the political arena, André-Philippe Futa was the founder and second National President of the National Alliance for Unity Party (PANU). He also served as Coordinator of the Alliance for the Presidential Majority (AMP)—the political coalition supporting former President Joseph Kabila—until November 2007.