Humanities desk
< September 3	<< Aug \| September \| Oct >>	September 5 >

Welcome to the Wikipedia Humanities Reference Desk Archives
The page you are currently viewing is a transcluded archive page. While you can leave answers for any questions shown below, please ask new questions on one of the current reference desk pages.

September 4

Zaire in 1991-1992

I think that Brigitte Yengo (Congolese nun and charity worker) might have held a top-level governmental position in Zaire. One book describes her as "la trésorière générale de la Conférence Nationale, en 1991, et Premier Questeur du Haut Conseil de la République de 1991 à 1992"[1]. Two other books briefly mention something along the same lines [2][3]. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Zairian politics in the early 1990s is almost nil. I would like to know:

Do her governmental positions fulfil the notability guideline for politicians?
Where might I look for more information about her or about the general political situation at that time?

Cheers, gnu 57 02:43, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

These are high governmental positions, but not of political offices. For judging notability I'd go with the generic criteria for people. A good start and easy read for info on Zaire is the introduction of Portal:Democratic Republic of the Congo. For more on the tense political situation of Zaire in the 1990s, consult Democratic Republic of the Congo#Mobutu and Zaire_(1965–1997) and our Zaire article. --Lambiam 10:25, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

She gets a mention in "CONFÉRENCE NATIONALE ET MODERNITÉ RELIGIEUSE AU CONGO, p. 396 (in French):

"Le dernier acte politique décisif de la Conférence nationale souveraine sera l'élection du Premier Ministre de la Transition, et du Conseil Supérieur de la République qui fera office de Parlement et dont Mgr Ernest Kombo (Evêque d'Owando) a été élu à l'unanimité Président; le poste de Trésorier dudit Conseil est aussi confié à une religieuse, Sœur Brigitte Yengo de l'Eglise Catholique".

(The last decisive political act of the National Sovereign Conference will be the election of the Transitional Prime Minister, and the Higher Council of the Republic which will serve as Parliament and including Monsignor Ernest Kombo (Bishop Owando) was unanimously elected President; The position of Treasurer of that Council is also entrusted to a nun, Sister Brigitte Yengo of the Catholic Church.)

Alansplodge (talk) 10:55, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Minor tweaks to the translation: "Higher Council" ⇒ "High Council"; "including" ⇒ "of which". --Lambiam 16:20, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks Lambiam, the ones that got past my schoolboy French. Alansplodge (talk) 11:25, 5 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Pour le Congo-Brazzaville: réflexions et propositions, Théophile Obenga (2001) p. 221 says: "La religieuse Brigitte Yengo fut la trésorière générale de la Conférence nationale souveraine de 1991 et aussi Premier Questeur du Conseil supérieur de la République" (sorry, it's only a "snippet view"). Not entirely sure what the English analogy of Questeur is, but some sort of parliamentary administrator according to the linked French WP article. Alansplodge (talk) 11:09, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

In the French political tradition, Questeur is an officer of a parliamentary assembly who is one of the members of its governing board. The board normally includes a president, a vice-president, a treasurer (i.e. trésorière générale above) and a number of "questeurs" who round out the numbers, which are typically five or seven. Xuxl (talk) 12:32, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, so the British analogy might be a House of Commons Commissioner. Alansplodge (talk) 13:53, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

As noted in the French article, the title of the position is by analogy to the Quaestors of the Roman Republic--Jayron 32 14:15, 4 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

We seem to have erred and strayed like lost sheep here. Catholic Women of Congo-Brazzaville: Mothers and Sisters in Troubled Times might be helpful (according to Google anyway). You have to create an account to download it, but its free and seems to be legit. Alansplodge (talk) 11:55, 5 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you all very much--that's tremendously helpful. gnu 57 13:09, 8 September 2020 (UTC)[reply]