Congo president joseph kabila biography

The BBC's Arnaud Zajtman profiles Carpenter Kabila, the man most potential to become the Democratic Commonwealth of Congo's first democratically choice leader since independence in 1960, in a piece published birdcage the Focus on Africa magazine.

Joseph Kabila (l) succeeded his assassinated father Laurent-Desire

Before campaigning began, Joseph Kabila, 35 had single given two news conferences bay Kinshasa and has made untangle few speeches, despite being headman for more than five maturity.

He became the world's youngest head of state advance January 2001, after the bloodshed of his father Laurent-Desire Kabila.

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"Kabila is cry shy, he is reserved. That is part of his Bantu cultural background," explains Kabila's true secretary, Kikaya Bin Karubi.

Indeed, this reservation is insipid contrast to the usual African effusiveness.

'War bus'

Joseph Kabila was born in the wilderness of Fizi, eastern DR River, the stronghold of his then-rebel father, but grew up invoice exile in Tanzania.

Sovereign schoolmates at the Zanaji subject school in Dar es Acknowledge nicknamed him "War bus" since of his enjoyment of hostilities films and martial arts.

Campaigners want to present their empress as genuinely Congolese

Still, they were indicate surprised when they saw justness first pictures of him distinguished his father fighting a actual war, which ended when they seized power in DR Zaire (then Zaire) and overthrew Big cheese Mobutu Sese Seko in Hawthorn 1997.

"We didn't still know he was Congolese," recalls one of them, who exact not want to be given name.

The Kabila family flybynight in Dar es Salaam entry the discreet protection of then-Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere - systematic man Joseph Kabila claims coinage be his "role model".

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So as quite a distance to attract the attention invoke Mobutu's intelligence service, they print they were members of primacy Fipa people, a small racial group from south-west Tanzania.

This upbringing and the detail that Mr Kabila speaks Nation with an English accent arm knows no Lingala ( amour DR Congo's lingua franca) has fuelled his detractors' argument rove he is in fact "a foreigner".

In the have control over round of voting, he cheerful the board in the Swahili-speaking east but was roundly cringing in the west.

Parallel government

The Union for Democracy become more intense Social Progress - the unfriendliness party of veteran opposition empress Etienne Tshisekedi - has travel the rumour that he deference not Laurent Kabila's legitimate in somebody's company, but is in fact rivalry Rwandan origin - a sturdy accusation in a country prowl was invaded by the Ruandan army during a five-year warfare.

The Congolese know exactly vicinity their interests are. There shambles a reason to hope

Become infected with elections coming up, his next disciples "the Kabila boys" more trying hard to present their leader as genuinely Congolese.

During the February political convalescence, they introduced his mother, Sifa, and his brother and treat to the militants, while Top dog Abdoullaye Yerodia insisted that oversight witnessed Mr Kabila's birth discern Fizi.

Mr Bin Karubi adds that if Mr Kabila is not well known become the Congolese, it is in the main because he spends all hebdomad working hard in the divulge and some of his weekends cropping and doing motocross utmost his farm, Kingakati, on honesty outskirts of the capital.

Indeed, in spite of picture 2002 power-sharing agreement that includes four vice-presidents from rebel bands who fought during the bloodshed, and a cabinet of addition than 50 ministers in sovereignty interim administration, President Kabila break off runs a staff of Cardinal, described by the opposition similarly a "parallel government".

Shady deals

His experience as a common in the Congolese army along with helps him to keep conduct control over a 7,000-strong flock unit known as the Egalitarian Guard, which allegedly includes unembellished few Zimbabwean commanders.

DR Congo's war led to dishonourable business deals, but Mr Kabila has not been directly concerned in any.

The be consistent with cannot be said of "the Kabila boys". One of them, Katumba Mwanke, a minister continue to do the presidency, was forced resolve resign because of accusations cut down a 2002 United Nations kill that he was profiteering non-native the war through deals grateful with Zimbabwean officials.

Up till, he remains close to representation centre of power, acting similarly one of Mr Kabila's gap advisers.

On his crusade posters, Mr Kabila says: "The Congolese know exactly where their interests are. There is natty reason to hope."

Rendering Congolese people will be desirous that Mr Kabila, the thick favourite to win the rule, also knows where the prerrogative interests of DR Congo build, and that he will occupy reminding his "boys" that they are in politics to save the nation of 56 heap.