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===Guerrilla and army years===
===Guerrilla and army years===
Following high school, Joseph Kabila followed a military curriculum in Tanzania, then at [[Makerere University]] in Uganda. In October 1996, Laurent-Désiré Kabila launched the campaign in Zaire to oust the Mobutu regime. Joseph became the commander of the famous army of "kadogos" (child soldiers) and played a key role in major battles on the road to Kinshasa. The liberation army received logistical and military support from regional armies from [[Rwanda]], [[Uganda]], [[Angola]] and [[Zimbabwe]]. Following the AFDL's victory, and Laurent-Désiré Kabila's rise to the presidency, Joseph Kabila went on to get further training at the [[PLA National Defense University]], in [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]].
Following high school, Joseph Kabila followed a military curriculum in Tanzania, then at [[Makerere University]] in Uganda. In October 1996, Laurent-Désiré Kabila launched the campaign in Zaire to oust the Mobutu regime. Joseph became the commander of the infamous army of "kadogos" (child soldiers) and played a key role in major battles on the road to Kinshasa. The liberation army received logistical and military support from regional armies from [[Rwanda]], [[Uganda]], [[Angola]] and [[Zimbabwe]]. Following the AFDL's victory, and Laurent-Désiré Kabila's rise to the presidency, Joseph Kabila went on to get further training at the [[PLA National Defense University]], in [[Beijing]], [[People's Republic of China|China]].


When he returned from China, Kabila was awarded the rank of Major-General, and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the [[Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]], in 1998. He was later, in 2000, appointed Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, a position he held until the elder President Kabila's assassination in January 2001.<ref>http://www.presidentrdc.cd/biographie.html</ref> As chief of staff, he was one of the main military leaders in charge of Government troops during the time of the [[Second Congo War]] (1998–2003).
When he returned from China, Kabila was awarded the rank of Major-General, and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the [[Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]], in 1998. He was later, in 2000, appointed Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, a position he held until the elder President Kabila's assassination in January 2001.<ref>http://www.presidentrdc.cd/biographie.html</ref> As chief of staff, he was one of the main military leaders in charge of Government troops during the time of the [[Second Congo War]] (1998–2003).

Revision as of 21:17, 19 March 2011

Joseph Kabila Kabange
President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Incumbent
Assumed office
26 January 2001
Prime MinisterAntoine Gizenga
Adolphe Muzito
Preceded byLaurent-Désiré Kabila
Personal details
Born (1971-06-04) 4 June 1971 (age 53)
Fizi, Zaire
Political partyPPRD
SpouseOlive Lembe di Sita

Joseph Kabila Kabange (known commonly as Joseph Kabila; born June 4, 1971), is the president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He took office in January 2001, ten days after the murder of his father and DRC president Laurent-Désiré Kabila. On November 27, 2006, Joseph Kabila was confirmed as President following the July 2006 general election.

Biography

Early life and education

Kabila was born in a small town in the Fizi territory of the South Kivu province, in the east of Zaire, now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He is supposedly the adopted son of Laurent-Désiré Kabila and Sifa Mahanya. There are however some doubts as to the correctness of this official story. Many, especially those in the Congolese diaspora, believe that Laurent-Désiré Kabila was not his biological father; but rather his step father. Many opposition voices called for a DNA test to prove his identity as Laurent-Désiré Kabila's natural child, but Kabila has not agreed to do so.[1]

Guerrilla and army years

Following high school, Joseph Kabila followed a military curriculum in Tanzania, then at Makerere University in Uganda. In October 1996, Laurent-Désiré Kabila launched the campaign in Zaire to oust the Mobutu regime. Joseph became the commander of the infamous army of "kadogos" (child soldiers) and played a key role in major battles on the road to Kinshasa. The liberation army received logistical and military support from regional armies from Rwanda, Uganda, Angola and Zimbabwe. Following the AFDL's victory, and Laurent-Désiré Kabila's rise to the presidency, Joseph Kabila went on to get further training at the PLA National Defense University, in Beijing, China.

When he returned from China, Kabila was awarded the rank of Major-General, and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 1998. He was later, in 2000, appointed Chief of Staff of the Land Forces, a position he held until the elder President Kabila's assassination in January 2001.[2] As chief of staff, he was one of the main military leaders in charge of Government troops during the time of the Second Congo War (1998–2003).

Presidency

Kabila rose to the Presidency on 26 January 2001 after the assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila. As such Kabila became the world's first head of government born in the 1970s. He remained the world's youngest head of government until Roosevelt Skerrit became Prime Minister of Dominica in January 2004.[3]

At age 29, he was considered young and inexperienced. He subsequently attempted to end the ongoing civil war by negotiating peace agreements with rebel groups who were backed by Rwanda and Uganda, the same regional armies who brought Laurent-Désiré Kabila's rebel group to power 3 years before. The 2002 peace agreement signed at the Inter-Congolese Dialogue in Sun City, South Africa, which nominally ended the Second Congo War, maintained Joseph Kabila as President and head of state of the Congo. An interim administration was set up under him, including the leaders of the country's two main rebel groups as vice-presidents (two other vice-presidents were representatives of the civilian opposition and government supporters respectively).

Kabila in 2002, with Thabo Mbeki, George W. Bush, and Paul Kagame

On March 28, 2003, an apparent coup attempt or mutiny around the capital Kinshasa, allegedly on the part of members of the former guard of former president Mobutu Sese Seko (who had been ousted by Kabila's father in 1997 and died in the same year), failed.[4] On June 11, 2004, coup plotters led by Major Eric Lenge allegedly attempted to take power and announced on state radio that the transitional government was suspended, but were defeated by loyalist troops.[5][6]

In December 2005, a partial referendum approved a new constitution, and a presidential election was held on July 30, 2006 (having been delayed from an earlier date in June).[7] The new constitution lowers the minimum age of presidential candidates from 35 to 30; Kabila turned 35 shortly before the election. In March 2006, he registered as a candidate.[8] Although the new constitution stipulates that a debate be held between the two remaining candidates for the presidency, no debates took place and this was declared by many as unconstitutional.

According to widely disputed provisional results announced on August 20, Kabila won 45% of the vote; his main opponent, vice-president and former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba, won 20%. The irregularities surrounding the elections results prompted [9] a run-off vote between Kabila and Bemba which was held on October 29. On November 15, the electoral commission announced the official results and Kabila was declared the winner, with 58.05% of the vote.[10] These results were confirmed by the Supreme Court on November 27, 2006, and Kabila was inaugurated on December 6, 2006 as the country's newly elected President.[11] He named Antoine Gizenga, who placed third in the first round of the presidential election (and then backed Kabila in the second round) as prime minister on December 30.[12]

Although Kabila registered as an independent, he is the "initiator" of the People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy (PPRD), which chose him as their candidate to the election.

In response to accusations that sex crimes had been committed by the Congolese military, he pointed out that 300 soldiers have been convicted of sex crimes, although he admitted that is not enough.[13]

Wedding

On June 1, 2006, after many wedding rumors were fueled by many in top positions in the country, the head of the Presidential Household, Ambassador Theodore Mugalu officially announced the wedding of the President to Ms. Olive Lembe di Sita. The wedding ceremonies took place on June 17, 2006. [1] Mr. Kabila and his spouse have a daughter, born in 2001, named Sifa after Kabila's mother.

As President Kabila is Protestant (Anglican), and Ms. Lembe di Sita is Catholic, the wedding ceremonies were ecumenical, and were therefore officiated by both the Catholic Archbishop of Kinshasa, Cardinal Frederic Etsou Bamungwabi, and Pierre Marini Bodho – Presiding Bishop of the Church of Christ in Congo, the umbrella church for most Protestant denominations in the Congo, known within the country simply as "The Protestant Church".

References

  1. ^ "Kabilla II - Unravelling The Enigma" African Business, March 2001
  2. ^ http://www.presidentrdc.cd/biographie.html
  3. ^ Who's your daddy? (accessed 24 December 2010)
  4. ^ "Arrests after DR Congo 'coup bid'", BBC.co.uk, March 29, 2004.
  5. ^ "Congo National Troops Thwart Coup Attempt", VOA News, June 11, 2004.
  6. ^ "Coup attempt foiled in Kinshasa", IRIN, June 11, 2004.
  7. ^ "Elections to be held on 30 July, polls body says", IRIN, May 1, 2006.
  8. ^ "DR Congo poll deadline extended", BBC.co.uk, March 24, 2006.
  9. ^ "Frontrunners need alliances for 2nd round of presidential polls", IRIN, August 22, 2006.
  10. ^ "Kabila named DR Congo poll winner", BBC News, November 15, 2006.
  11. ^ "Joseph Kabila sworn in as Congo's elected president", Reuters, December 6, 2006.
  12. ^ Joe Bavier, "Congo names opposition veteran, 81, prime minister", Reuters, December 30, 2006.
  13. ^ Jeff Koinange, "Congo president on military rapes: 'Unforgivable'", CNN.com, June 1, 2006.
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