{{Short description|Congolese politician}} '''Paul Bolya''' or '''Bolya Ifekwa Lobok'ete''' (10 October 1924{{snd}}2002) was a Congolese politician and leader of a faction in the nationalist movement in the Belgian Congo before independence.
== Biography == Paul Bolya was born on 10 October 1924 in Bengale, Équateur Province, Belgian Congo, to a Mongo family.{{sfn|CRISP|1961|loc=paragraph 120}} In Bamanya he undertook six years of study at the Ecole Primaire des Missionnaires du Scare-Coeur and a further four at the Ecole Normale des Freres des Ecoles Chretiennes, graduating with his certification as a teacher. In 1948 he earned his certification as a medical assistant.{{sfn|Mulumba|Makombo|1986|p=66}} He also undertook a training course at the Institut de médecine tropicale d'Anvers and served as an instructor at the École des Assistants médicaux de Léopoldville.{{sfn|CRISP|1961|loc=paragraph 120}}
=== Political career === thumb|First Congolese government At the Constituent Congress of Coquilhatville in November 1959 Bolya became the president of the Parti National du Progrès (PNP).{{sfn|CRISP|1961|loc=paragraph 120}} He represented the PNP at the Belgo-Congolese Round Table Conference and was the first delegate to formally propose the adoption of a resolution for Congolese independence.{{sfn|Essack|1976|p=199}} He was chosen to be one of the vice presidents of the talks.{{sfn|Kanza|1978|p=81}} Bolya served on the Executive Board to the Governor General from March to June 1960.{{sfn|CRISP|1961|loc=paragraph 120}} In May he was selected as a member of the Union des Mongo (UNIMO) to be a senator on behalf of Équateur Province.{{sfn|Mulumba|Makombo|1986|p=67}}
Bolya was considered for the post of Minister of Health in the first Congolese government but ended up serving as a minister of state.{{sfn|CRISP|1961|loc=paragraph 121}} From 12 September to October 10 he briefly served as Minister of Health under Prime Minister Joseph Ileo. In February 1961 he was made Minister of Public Service, a post he held until 2 August, when was made Secretary of State for Justice. He returned to his position as Minister of Health on 11 July 1962.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.deboutcongolais.info/crimes_mobutisme/2_crimes_noyau.html| title = Description du noyau du mobutisme et la liste de tous ses gouvernements de 60 à 90| website = deboutcongolais.info| publisher = Coordination des Forces Lumumbistes Mulelistes Kabilistes| access-date = 16 November 2016| language = French| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20050901000756/http://www.deboutcongolais.info/crimes_mobutisme/2_crimes_noyau.html| archive-date = 1 September 2005| url-status = dead}}</ref>
In 1997 Laurent-Désiré Kabila seized control of the Congo. Afterwards he created a commission to draft a new constitution for the country. Bolya was appointed to the commission.{{sfn|Willame|1999|p=71}}
Bolya was the father of Désiré Bolya Baenga, an essayist and writer.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.afrik.com/article20566.html| title = L'ultime départ de Bolya| last = Salin| first = Franck| date = 13 August 2010| website = Afrik.com| access-date = 5 November 2017| language = French}}</ref>
== Citations == {{reflist}}
== References == {{refbegin}} * {{cite book| last = Essack| first = Karrim| title = The Armed Struggle| publisher = Thakers| volume = 2| date = 1976| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OME1AQAAIAAJ}} * {{cite book| last = Kanza| first = Thomas R.| author-link= Thomas Kanza| title = The rise and fall of Patrice Lumumba: conflict in the Congo| publisher = R. Collings| edition = illustrated| date = 1978| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3E51AAAAMAAJ | isbn = 9780860360681}} * {{cite book| last1 = Mulumba| first1 = Mabi| last2 = Makombo| first2 = Mutamba| title = Cadres et dirigeants au Zaïre, qui sont-ils?: dictionnaire biographique| publisher = Editions du Centre de recherches pédagogiques| location= Kinshasa| date = 1986| language = French| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9UoLAQAAIAAJ| oclc= 462124213}} * {{cite journal| title = Onze mois de crise politique au Congo| journal = Courrier Hebdomadaire du CRISP| issue = 120| pages = 1–24| publisher = Centre de recherche et d'information socio-politiques| date = 1961| language = French| url = http://www.cairn.info/revue-courrier-hebdomadaire-du-crisp-1961-30-page-1.htm| doi = 10.3917/cris.120.0001| ref = {{harvid|CRISP|1961}}| url-access = subscription}} * {{cite book| last = Willame| first = Jean-Claude| title = L'Odyssée Kabila| publisher = KARTHALA Editions| date = 1999| language = French| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=WQB741W1RL8C| isbn = 9782865379262}} {{refend}}
{{Lumumba Government}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bolya, Paul}} Category:1924 births Category:2002 deaths Category:People of the Congo Crisis Category:Lumumba Government members Category:Members of the Senate (Democratic Republic of the Congo) Category:Government ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Category:Mongo people Category:People from Équateur Province