Congo's Prime Minister names new cabinet

Less than a week after he was appointed as Congo’s prime minister, Clement Mouamba has formed a new cabinet that blends both old and fresh faces.

Several former ministers retained their portfolios. They include Charles Richard Mondjo who is in charge of Defense, Jean Claude Gakosso retained his Foreign Affairs portfolio while Thierry Moungalla still heads Communication.

Lands minister Jean Jacques Bouya, Raymond Zephirin Mboulou of the Interior Ministry, Jean-Marc Thystère Thicaya for Hydrocarbons and Alain Akouala Atipault of Special Economic Zones also retained their portfolio.

The new faces entering the government are mostly young people who campaigned for the re-election of President Denis Sassou Nguesso.

They include Arlette Sudan Nono who is the new minister of Tourism and Leisure, Leon Just Ibombo who was promoted to head the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Calixte Ganongo who will handle the ministry of Finance.

Équipe gouvernementale de la Nouvelle République.

Pour en savoir plus : https://t.co/vNH4TRdiJV pic.twitter.com/h0SUKtQ8vM— Denis Sassou Nguesso (@SassouCG) April 30, 2016

The new government has 38 members compared to 35 in the former administration and faces several challenges chief among them the unemployment among young people and the diversification of the Congolese economy which is centered on oil.

The appointment of the new government comes slightly a month after Sassou Nguesso was elected for a new five year term on April 20th.