François Ibovi is a Congolese politician who held a succession of key posts in the government of Congo-Brazzaville beginning in 1997. Closely associated with President Denis Sassou Nguesso, he was Minister of Communication from 1997 to 2002, Minister of Territorial Administration from 2002 to 2007, First Vice-President of the National Assembly from 2007 to 2012, and Minister of Health from 2012 to 2016. Political career An ethnic Mbochi, Ibovi was born in Edou, located in the Oyo District of Cuvette Region, in the north of the country; Edou is also the birthplace of President Denis Sassou Nguesso. He studied journalism in the Soviet Union in the 1970s; after returning, he became a leader of the Union of Congolese Socialist Youth and joined the Congolese Labour Party (PCT) in 1977. He worked on national television as a journalist during the 1980s, and he was first elected to the National Assembly in the June–July 1992 parliamentary election as a candidate in Oyo constituency. During the June–October 1997 civil war, Ibovi was a spokesman for Sassou Nguesso. After Sassou Nguesso returned to power in October 1997, Ibovi was appointed as Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman on 2 November 1997. When rebels loyal to Bernard Kolelas attempted to seize Brazzaville, the capital, in December 1998, Ibovi denied Kolelas' claim that his forces were effectively in control of the city, saying that Kolelas was delusional and that the army had the upper hand. In the government named on 12 January 1999, he remained Minister of Communication and Government Spokesman and was additionally assigned responsibility for relations with Parliament. In the May–June 2002 parliamentary election, Ibovi was elected to the National Assembly as the PCT candidate for Oyo constituency; he was the only candidate and won the seat in the first round with 100% of the vote. The elections held in 2002 concluded the transitional process begun in 1997, and Sassou Nguesso formally declared that the transition was over on 9 August 2002. On that occasion, Ibovi said that conditions in Congo-Brazzaville had improved greatly since 1997, progressing from a "chaotic situation ... to a calm and livable country". Ibovi remained in the government after the election; on 18 August 2002, he was appointed as Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, in which position he served for over five years. Criticism of problems in the conduct of the first round of the June–August 2007 parliamentary