Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange (born June 4, 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-Désiré Kabila in January 2001. He has attempted to end the civil war and remove foreign troops from the country, with some success. Following a peace agreement, an interim administration was set up in 2003, including the leaders of the country's two main rebel groups as vice-presidents (two other vice-presidents are representatives of the civilian opposition and government supporters respectively). Proposals have been made to hold elections early in 2006.
On March 28, 2004, a coup attempt or mutiny around the capital Kinshasa, allegedly organized by supporters of the late president Mobutu Sese Seko, failed. On June 11, 2004, coup plotters led by Major Eric Lenge allegedly attempted to take power, declaring that the country's peace process was not working, but were defeated by loyalist troops.
Kabila fought in his father's rebel army during the campaign that brought him to power. He received military training from the neighbouring governments of Uganda and Rwanda. He served in numerous posts prior to becoming president, including major general and chief of staff within the army, heading up the government's fight against former rebels. He was considered young and inexperienced when he became president following the murder of his father Laurent Kabila.
In December 2005, a referendum approved a new constitution, and presidential elections are planned for 2006. The new constitution lowers the minimum age of presidential candidates from 35 to 30, which would allow Kabila to run. [1]
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Referenced By
Angola/Transnational issues | Belgian Congo | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | Congo-Kinshasa | Congo (Democratic Republic) | Congo (Kinshasa) | Democratic Republic of Congo | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Democratic Republic of the Congo/Government | Democratic Republic of the Congo/History | Family dictatorship | Foreign relations of Angola | Foreign relations of Rwanda | History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | ISO 3166-1:CD | Laurent-Desire Kabila | Laurent-Desiré Kabila | Laurent-Désiré Kabila | Laurent Kabila | List of Political Families | List of Presidents of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | List of national leaders | List of socialists | Political families | Political families of the world | Political family | Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | President of Zaire | President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | Republique Democratique du Congo | Rwanda/Transnational issues | République Démocratique du Congo | South Congo
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