Cameroonian oil company Tradex has appointed a new head for its operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. On June 29, 2026, Georges Bassalang officially assumed the role of managing director of Tradex RDC, succeeding Philippe Attang.

His appointment was approved on June 11 by the board of directors of the Congolese subsidiary, according to a company statement.

The appointment comes as Tradex RDC prepares to launch commercial operations. The company plans to open its first service stations in the country during 2026.

Bassalang has been tasked with overseeing the commissioning of the company’s first fuel distribution facilities, stepping up the search for new sites for service stations in Kinshasa and other provinces, and expanding household use of butane gas while ensuring a reliable market supply. He will also oversee updates to the administrative procedures and management systems needed to support the company’s operations.

Emmanuel Patrick Mvondo, chairman of the board of Tradex RDC, said Bassalang was assuming responsibility at a pivotal moment for the company and that his experience, technical expertise and track record within the Tradex Group would be valuable assets in leading the subsidiary’s next phase of growth.

Mvondo said the appointment reflects the company’s ambition to accelerate its expansion in the strategically important Congolese market. He added that Bassalang’s experience launching and building Tradex Equatorial Guinea would help ensure a successful start to the company’s operations in the DRC.

A Cameroonian national, Bassalang has nearly 20 years of experience in the oil industry. He graduated as an engineer from the National Higher School of Petroleum and Engines at the French Petroleum Institute and spent part of his career with Total in France and the Republic of the Congo, where he worked in research and development, hydrocarbon quality control, customer management and petroleum product marketing.

He joined Tradex in 2011 as head of the key accounts department before being appointed managing director of Tradex Equatorial Guinea in July 2019. Until November 2025, he led the launch and development of the subsidiary, which, according to Tradex, has since become one of Equatorial Guinea’s leading players in the petroleum sector.

Ronsard Luabeya