It was not an April Fool's joke, as is customary each 1st day of April, considered "Lying Day." Finally, the news had fallen like a guillotine, on the antennas of the Congolese National Radio and Television (RTNC), regarding the ordinance of the Head of State appointing Madam Judith Suminwa Tuluka as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The new head of the Congolese Government, Judith Suminwa Tuluka was born on October 19, 1967, and will be turning 57 years old next October. She is married and the mother of two children, a 23-year-old son, and a 19-year-old daughter.

A native of Kongo Central, Judith Suminwa is a woman of exceptional competence with unwavering determination; she holds a master's degree in Applied Economics. Judith Tuluka was among the 16 women members of the Government of the DRC.

A woman with exceptional competence and unwavering determination. She holds a Master in Labor Science - administration and personnel management. She also has a degree in applied economic sciences, with a focus on financial management from the Catholic University Faculties of Mons (FUCAM) in Belgium.

Mrs. Tuluka returned to the DRC in December 1997. "It was not easy with the entrance of the AFDL. But, I was committed to my plans. I was engaged at the time, and my husband and I had decided to return home to start our life," she indicated.

At home, she worked at City Bank for a year. Then one day, she submitted her CV to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, where she was hired after a job test as an administrative and financial assistant.

After six months, she was hired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as a national expert for the humanitarian coordination unit.

Still with determination, she continued her journey by obtaining a diploma in Accounting from the School of Promotion and Continuing Education (EPFC) in Brussels. She was a senior expert in international development with experience in various national contexts and change management.

It should also be mentioned that she has over 20 years of national and international experience in the field of democratic governance and peacebuilding, including security governance.

Her career led her to the banking sector, before joining United Nations agencies including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), where she was a national expert in a community support project in the east of the country. Her contribution to these initiatives was honored for her efficacy and her commitment to sustainable and inclusive development.

It should be noted that Judith Suminwa Tuluka has accumulated valuable experience in various sectors before joining the Government. A fierce woman, she expanded her resume by working in the cabinet of the Ministry of Budget before becoming the Deputy Coordinator of the Presidential Council for Strategic Surveillance (CPVS), where she made a very significant contribution in making informed and strategic decisions for the future of the country.

Continuing to demonstrate her capacity as a strong woman, she was appointed on March 24, 2023, as the Minister of Planning in the Sama Lukonde II Government, implementing policies and plans aiming to boost economic growth and social development, a position she held for one year.

Today, she is the first woman appointed to the Premiership in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Gisèle Mbuyi