Jean-Pierre Bemba | |
---|---|
![]() Bemba in 2005. | |
Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Transportation | |
Assumed office 12 June 2024 | |
President | Félix Tshisekedi |
Prime Minister | Judith Suminwa Tuluka |
Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Defense | |
In office 23 March 2023 –12 June 2024 | |
President | Félix Tshisekedi |
Prime Minister | Sama Lukonde |
Preceded by | Gilbert Kabanda Rukemba |
Succeeded by | Guy Kabombo Muadiamvita |
Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
In office 17 July 2003 –6 December 2006 | |
President | Joseph Kabila |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Position abolished |
Personal details | |
Born | Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo 4 November 1962 Bokada,Equateur Province,Republic of the Congo |
Nationality | Congolese |
Political party | Movement for the Liberation of the Congo |
Parent |
|
Alma mater | ICHEC Brussels Management School |
Occupation | Politician |
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (born 4 November 1962) [1] is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). After he served as Deputy Prime Minister of Defense 2023 to 2024, he was moved to the Deputy Prime Minister of Transportation. [2] [3] [4] He was previously one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006. [5] He led the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), a rebel group turned political party. He received the second-highest number of votes in the 2006 presidential election. In January 2007, he was elected to the Senate.
In 2008, during a trip to Europe, Bemba was arrested on International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes. [6] He spent the following 10 years in prison at The Hague, The Netherlands; 8 years awaiting trial and verdict, then 2 more years after conviction in 2016. [7] In 2018, the verdicts were overturned on appeal. [8] The court ruled that because the Rome Statute which sets the court's rules do not limit the amount of time a person can spend in prison awaiting trial, Bemba was not entitled to compensation. It called on member states to urgently review the relevant provisions in the statute. [9] No such review has yet taken place. In 2018, Bemba returned to the DRC where he has since been active in national politics. [10]
Bemba was born in Bokada, Nord-Ubangi. [1] His father, Jeannot Bemba Saolona, was a businessman who was successful under Zairian President Mobutu Sese Seko. His sister, Catherine Bemba, is married to Mobutu's son, Nzanga Mobutu, who was also a candidate in the 2006 presidential election. [11]
Bemba attended boarding school in Brussels and later studied economics at the ICHEC Brussels Management School. [12]
The MLC movement started in the Orientale Province of the DRC in 1998 at the beginning of the Second Congo War. Said Bemba of its founding: "I had identified the possibility of launching an armed movement. So I went looking for serious partners. There were two countries in the region that were interested but I chose to present my dossier to the Ugandans. They liked it and so I went in." [13] Over time, the movement spread into the Équateur province, and established a base in Gbadolite. Like many of the rebel groups at the time, the MLC's goal was to take the capital of Kinshasa. [14]
In 2002, President Ange-Félix Patassé of the Central African Republic invited the MLC to come to his country and put down a coup attempt. Human rights activists accused MLC fighters of committing atrocities against civilians in the course of this conflict.
In 2003, Bemba became one of four vice-presidents during the interim government that lasted from 2003-2006. [15]
Bemba was one of 33 candidates who ran in the Congolese presidential election on 30 July, 2006. His main campaign slogan — "One Hundred Percent Congolese" — was widely perceived as an attack on front-runner President Joseph Kabila. [16]
Bemba received substantial support in the western, Lingala-speaking portion of the country, including the capital, Kinshasa. [17] Following the vote there was significant tension as to whether Kabila would win a majority of the vote, avoiding a runoff against Bemba, who was perceived as Kabila's main opponent. [18] However, results announced on 20 August gave Kabila 44% of the vote and Bemba 20%, [17]
On 21 August 2006, while accompanied by 14 ambassadors of CIAT members (International Committee in charge of the Transition), including ambassadors from the United States of America, The UK, France (Bernard Prévost) and Belgium (Johan Swinnen), and from MONUC, US diplomat William L. Swing, Bemba survived an assassination attempt by the Presidential Guard bombing his residence in Gombe. The ambassadors were forced to seek refuge in a cellar. [19] [ circular reference ] [20]
Kabila and Bemba faced each other in a second round, held on 29 October. The electoral commission announced the official results on 15 November, naming Kabila the winner with 58.05% of the vote; Bemba's supporters alleged fraud. [21]
On 27 November 2006, the Supreme Court of the DRC rejected the fraud charges brought by Bemba, and confirmed Kabila as the new elected Congolese President. [22] A day later, Bemba said that he disagreed with the court's decision, but that "in the greater national interest and to preserve peace and to save the country from chaos and violence", he would participate in the system by leading the political opposition. [23] [24] He did not attend Kabila's swearing-in ceremony on 6 December. On 8 December, the MLC announced that Bemba would run for a Senate seat from Kinshasa in the January 2007 senatorial election, [25] and he succeeded in winning a seat. [26]
A further attempt on Bemba's life in March 2007 led to an outbreak of fighting near Bemba's residence. [27] A number of soldiers and civilians were reported killed. Bemba called for a ceasefire and negotiations and took refuge in the South African embassy. [28] As fighting continued on 23 March, it was announced that a warrant for Bemba's arrest had been issued, accusing him of high treason. [29] [30] Although Bemba enjoyed immunity as a senator, the country's chief prosecutor said that he would ask parliament to remove it.
On 26 March, Kabila said that security could not be guaranteed through negotiation and referred to the importance of restoring order. Bemba warned of a potential for dictatorship and foreshadowed his retreat into exile, citing security concerns. [31]
Late in the month it was reported that Bemba planned to travel to Portugal for treatment of a broken leg; he had already received treatment for his leg there in previous months. The Portuguese ambassador subsequently said on 30 March that Bemba was expected to go to Portugal for treatment, but was not going into exile there. [32] On 9 April, the Senate approved the trip, for a period of 60 days. [33] [34] On 11 April, Bemba left the South African embassy and was taken to the airport by U.N. MONUC forces, then flown out of the country to Portugal, [35] along with his wife and children. [34] On 12 April, the attorney general, Tshimanga Mukeba, said that he had asked the Senate to remove Bemba's immunity. [36]
Following the outbreak of violence in March, Bemba's party, the MLC, said that it was being targeted by the government through arrests and intimidation, and that its headquarters was occupied by government forces. [37] On 13 April, the party suspended its participation in the National Assembly due to this intimidation and insecurity. [38]
In the first half of June, it was reported that, despite the expiration of the 60 days prescribed by the Senate, Bemba would not return to the DRC due to safety concerns. [39] According to MLC executive secretary Thomas Luhaka, Bemba was medically able to return and take part in politics again, and Luhaka called for a political solution to facilitate his return. Without Senate permission to be absent, he would automatically lose his seat if absent from over a quarter of Senate sessions, unless the absences were justified. [40] On 15 June, the Senate extended Bemba's permitted absence until 31 July, following a request from Bemba in a 12 June letter in asking for more time. In this letter he expressed a readiness to return and take part in politics, but also expressed concerns about his safety. [41] [42]
On 13 July, Bemba met with Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid. According to Michel, Bemba "intends to give the presidential majority the benefit of the doubt" and would not do or say anything "that could be taken as an attempt at destabilisation". [43] He did not return by the deadline on 31 July, with a spokesman citing continued security concerns; the Senate was then in recess until 15 September, [44] and Senate President Kengo wa Dondo said that Bemba would not be penalized for being away during this period because the Senate was not in session. [45] In a statement published on 1 August, Bemba said that he wanted to return before 15 September. [46]
It was announced on 7 September that Bemba had met with National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe in Portugal to discuss his potential return. [47] In November 2007, he visited Belgium and met with Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht on 5 November. [48]
In a March 2008 interview, Bemba said that he was in "forced exile" and that it seemed the government was moving towards a dictatorship. [49]
On 24 May 2008, Bemba was arrested near Brussels. [50] [51] [52] He was handed over to the ICC on 3 July, 2008 and transferred to its detention centre in the Hague. [53] He was the only person arrested in connection with the ICC's investigation in the Central African Republic. [51] The Supreme Court of the Central African Republic found no basis to pursue cases against Bemba and former CAR President Ange-Félix Patassé. [54]
The trial of Bemba began on 22 November 2010 [55] [56] and lasted four years. The prosecutor was Fatou Bensouda. Two more years passed before the verdict was given. [57]
On 21 March 2016, he was convicted on two counts of crimes against humanity and three counts of war crimes. [57] This marked the first time the International Criminal Court (ICC) convicted someone of sexual violence. [58] The trial evaluated a theory of criminal responsibility related to whether a remote commander who failed to prevent or punish crimes was liable for crimes against humanity and war crimes. [59]
On 21 June 2016, the ICC sentenced Bemba to 18 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by his Congolese Liberation Movement (MLC). [60] In March 2017 he was sentenced to an extra year in prison and fined 300,000 euros ($324,000) by the ICC for interfering with witnesses in his trial. [61]
On 28 September 2016, Bemba served the ICC appeals chamber with an appeal against his 18-year conviction citing numerous procedural and legal errors in the judgment, and alleging a mistrial. [62] [63] The appeal centered on whether Bemba had a fair trial, with concerns about the need for greater specificity in criminal charges. [59] The conviction was overturned on 8 June, 2018 [64] by Judge Christine Van den Wyngaert. She said he cannot be held responsible for the actions of his men, and that the lower court "ignored significant testimonial evidence that Bemba's ability to investigate and punish crimes in the CAR was limited". [65] The court ruled that because the Rome Statute which sets the court's rules do not limit the amount of time a person can spend in prison awaiting trial, Bemba was not entitled to compensation. It called on member states to review urgently the relevant provisions in the statute [9] No such review has yet taken place.
On 4 May 2017 Bemba had also filed an appeal against his conviction for interfering with witnesses, alleging factual and legal errors on the part of the trial chamber and illegal investigative activity by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor. [66]
On 1 August 2018, Bemba returned to the DRC after 11 years of exile and imprisonment. [67] [68] He attempted to run for President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the 2018 election, and was considered by some to be the strongest opposition candidate. [69] [70] He was barred from running after a review conducted by the country's Independent National Electoral Commission. [70] He joined other opposition leaders in an agreement to support candidate Martin Fayulu, [71] [72] who became the subject of a dispute over the election's results—winning according to journalists analyzing data apparently leaked from the electoral commission and the Catholic Church's observation mission, [73] [74] but losing to Félix Tshisekedi according to the election commission's official results. [75] [76] As of 2023, Bemba was active in national DRC politics. [77] On 23 March 2023, Tshisekedi named Bemba Minister of Defence in a cabinet reshuffle. [78]
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)The earliest known human settlements in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been dated back to the Middle Stone Age, approximately 90,000 years ago. The first real states, such as the Kongo, the Lunda, the Luba and Kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards.
Politics of the Democratic Republic of Congo take place in the framework of a republic in transition from a civil war to a semi-presidential republic.
Étienne Tshisekedi wa Mulumba was a Congolese politician and the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), formerly the main opposition political party in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). A long-time opposition leader, he served as Prime Minister of the country on three brief occasions: in 1991, 1992–1993, and 1997. He was also the father of the current President, Felix Tshisekedi.
The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. Formerly a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War, it subsequently took part in the transitional government and is one of the main opposition parties.
The Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo was tasked with moving from the state riven by the Second Congo War (1998–2003) to a government based upon a constitution agreed on by consensus. In 2001, President Laurent Kabila was assassinated, and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state.
General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 30 July 2006. They were the first multiparty elections in the country in 41 years, and the first since the overthrow of longtime leader Mobutu Sese Seko nine years earlier. Voters went to the polls to elect both a new President of the Republic and a new National Assembly, the lower-house of the Parliament.
Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi is a Congolese politician, currently serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Economy and the leader of the Union for the Congolese Nation (UNC) party. He served as the President of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2006 to 2009. After resigning from that office, he went into the opposition and founded the UNC. He ran in the 2011 presidential election. He supported Félix Tshisekedi as a coalition partner in the 2018 presidential election, and became chief of staff when Tshisekedi took office.
Congolese history in the 2000s has primarily revolved around the Second Congo War (1998–2003) and the empowerment of a transitional government.
Germain Katanga, also known as Simba, is a former leader of the Patriotic Resistance Force in Ituri (FRPI), an armed group in the Ituri Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On 17 October 2007, the Congolese authorities surrendered him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to stand trial on six counts of war crimes and three counts of crimes against humanity. The charges include murder, sexual slavery, rape, destruction of property, pillaging, willful killing, and directing crimes against civilians.
Bosco Ntaganda is a convicted war criminal and the former military chief of staff of the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), an armed militia group operating in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is a former member of the Rwandan Patriotic Army and allegedly a former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Patriotic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (FPLC), the military wing of the Union of Congolese Patriots.
The CongoleseRepublican Guard of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as the Special Presidential Security Group, is a praetorian guard unit maintained by and tasked to protect the Congolese president Félix Tshisekedi. Congolese military officials state that the Republican Guard (GR) is an independent branch and not the responsibility of FARDC, but the Head of State. Apart from Article 140 of the Law on the Army and Defence, no legal stipulation on the DRC's Armed Forces makes provision for the GR as a distinct unit within the national army. In February 2005, President Joseph Kabila passed a decree which appointed the GR's commanding officer and 'repealed any previous provisions contrary' to that decree. The GR is more than 10,000 strong, and formerly consisted of three brigades, the 10th, at Kinshasa, the 15th, and the 16th, at Lubumbashi. It has better working conditions and is paid regularly, but still commits numerous crimes near their bases, including against United Nations officials.
Alexis Thambwe Mwamba is a Congolese politician who has assumed various political roles and offices since the early 1980s going from Minister of Public Works, Minister of State Portfolio, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Planning, Minister of Foreign Affairs and recently in December 2014, he was appointed Minister of Justice of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The International Criminal Court investigation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is an ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into crimes committed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the Second Congo War and its aftermath, including the Ituri and Kivu conflicts. The war started in 1998 and despite a peace agreement between combatants in 2003, conflict continued in the eastern parts of the country for several years. In April 2004 the government of the DRC formally referred the situation in the Congo to the International Criminal Court, and in June 2004, prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, formally opened an investigation. To date, arrest warrants have been issued for:
During the first and second civil conflicts which took place in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), all sides involved in the war actively recruited or conscripted child soldiers, known locally as Kadogos which is a Swahili term meaning "little ones". In 2011 it was estimated that 30,000 children were still operating with armed groups. The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), released a report in 2013 which stated that between 1 January 2012 and August 2013 up to 1,000 children had been recruited by armed groups, and described the recruitment of child soldiers as "endemic".
General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 30 December 2018, to determine a successor to President Joseph Kabila, as well as for the 500 seats of the National Assembly and the 715 elected seats of the 26 provincial assemblies. Félix Tshisekedi (UDPS) won with 38.6% of the vote, defeating another opposition candidate, Martin Fayulu, and Emmanuel Ramazani Shadary, backed by the ruling party PPRD. Fayulu alleged that the vote was rigged against him in a deal made by Tshisekedi and outgoing President Kabila, challenging the result in the DRC's Constitutional Court. Different election observers, including those from the country's Roman Catholic Church, also cast doubt on the official result. Nonetheless on 20 January the Court rejected his appeal and declared Tshisekedi as the winner. Parties supporting President Kabila won the majority of seats in the National Assembly. Félix Tshisekedi was sworn in as the 5th President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 24 January 2019, making it the first peaceful transition of power in the country since it became independent from Belgium in 1960.
Effacer le tableau was the operational name given to the genocide of the Bambuti pygmies by rebel forces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Ève Bazaiba Masudi is a Congolese lawyer, politician, and human rights activist. As of May 2019, she served as the Secretary General of the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC) political party. She is Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Environment since 2021.
Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo is a Congolese politician who has been the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 24 January 2019. He is the leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS), the DRC's oldest and largest party, succeeding his late father Étienne Tshisekedi in that role, a three-time Prime Minister of Zaire and opposition leader during the reign of Mobutu Sese Seko. Tshisekedi was the UDPS party's candidate for president in the December 2018 general election, which he was awarded, despite accusations of irregularities from several election monitoring organisations and other opposition parties. The Constitutional Court of the DRC upheld his victory after another opposition politician, Martin Fayulu, challenged the result, but Tshisekedi has been accused of making a deal with his predecessor, Joseph Kabila. The election marked the first peaceful transition of power since the state became independent from Belgium in 1960.
Murder in Kinshasa is a 2011 Al Jazeera investigative film suggesting that Congolese president Laurent-Désiré Kabila was assassinated in 2001 through the efforts of the Rwandan government, with the backing of the United States. According to the film, international disputes over mineral and natural resources led to Kabila's assassination. The film argues that Eddy Kapend and the dozens of guards who were convicted and sentenced to death — in a trial criticized by human rights organizations — played no part in Kabila's death. Murder in Kinshasa was directed and edited by journalists Arnaud Zajtman and Marlène Rabaud.