Judith Suminwa

Judith Suminwa Tuluka (born 19 October 1967) is a Congolese politician who has served as Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2024, and is the first woman to hold the position. Prior to her tenure as prime minister she was Minister of State and Minister of Planning.

Early life and education Judith Suminwa Tuluka was born in Kongo Central, on 19 October 1967. Her father was the ambassador to Chad during Mobutu Sese Seko's presidency. She graduated from the Catholic university of Mons with a bachelor's degree in applied economic sciences and from the Université libre de Bruxelles with a master's degree in labour studies. She returned to the DRC in 1997, and worked at Citibank.

Career Suminwa applied to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and worked as an administrative and financial assistant before becoming a member of the United Nations Development Programme.

She is a member of Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). She was deputy coordinator of the Presidential Council for Strategic Monitoring. She was appointed to the Lukonde cabinet as Minister of State and Minister of Planning in 2023.

Prime Minister Sama Lukonde submitted his resignation on 21 February 2024. She is the first woman to serve as prime minister. Her initial cabinet contained 54 people, with 18 being women.

Personal life Suminwa is married to Roger Tuluka, a former classmate of Félix Tshisekedi who she met in Belgium in the 1990s.

Political positions Suminwa has been critical of Rwanda for its occupation of areas in eastern DRC and accused it of supporting rebel groups, such as the Congo River Alliance, to overthrow the DRC's government.