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Fulbert Youlou
First president of the Republic of the Congo
The priest-politician who led the Congo to independence — and fell to the revolution he could not contain.
The rise
A Catholic priest who entered politics, Youlou founded the Union Démocratique de Défense des Intérêts Africains and led the Republic of the Congo to independence from France in 1960. His presidency was marked by pan-African diplomacy and economic development plans, but growing labor unrest led to his overthrow in the 'Trois Glorieuses' uprising of 1963.