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Since assuming office last May, DRC President Laurent-Desire Kabila has reshuffled his government several times. The latest team is made up of 20 ministers and four deputy ministers. Former exiles now head nine ministries. People from Katanga hold most positions followed by those from Kasai province.
The following is a list of leading figures in the current administration. The details have been compiled by UN DHA IRIN - Great Lakes on the basis of press reports and other publicly-available sources.
President - Laurent-Desire Kabila
Kabila, 56, is a Baluba from Katanga (Shaba) and long-time opponent of late-dictator Mobutu Sese Seko. A former supporter of Patrice Lumumba, Congo's leftist first prime minister, Kabila studied in both France and then-East Germany. He took part in the notorious 1964 "Simba" rebellion before forming his own rebel movement, the Parti de la revolution populaire (PRP), based in Fizi and the Baraka mountains. He spent much time out of the country and reputedly has extensive business interests.
Several weeks after the 1996 uprising in South Kivu, Kabila emerged first as spokesman, then leader of the four-party Tutsi-influenced Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo/Zaire (ADFL). He declared himself president of DRC on 17 May 1997 after the victorious ADFL forces swept into Kinshasa. Kabila is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defence.
Foreign Affairs Minister - Bizima Karaha
A 29-year-old medical doctor, trained in South Africa, Karaha is a Banyamulenge Tutsi who enjoys very close relations with Rwandan Vice-President Paul Kagame.
Internal Affairs Minister - Mwenze Kongolo
Kongolo, originally from Katanga, was a member of the Zairean human rights group ANACOZA in the United States where he studied and later worked in the district attorney's office in Pennsylvania. Before becoming minister, he held the ADFL post of Commissioner-General for Justice.
Finance Minister - Mawapanga Mwana Nanga
A 45-year-old agronomist from Bas-Congo province who previously worked as a researcher at the University of Kentucky. Another active member of ANACOZA, he joined the ADFL in October 1996.
Information Minister - Raphael Ghenda
A lawyer from Lumumba's Tetela ethnic group in Kasai, Ghenda recently returned from long years of exile in France and Belgium.
Economy, Industry and Trade Minister - Pierre Victor Mpoyo
Mpoyo, from Kasai, also spent many years in exile. He worked for the French oil company Elf, notably in Nigeria. He is married to Justine Kasavubu, daughter of the country's first president.
Mines Minister - Matutulo Kambale
Kambale, a former Professor of English at Beni university, trained in New York and later worked for a humanitarian organisation in North Kivu. Planning and Development Minister - Babi Mbayi A Baluba from Kasai, Mbayi spent 10 years in France.
Justice Minister - Celestin Lwangi
Lwangi, another Katanganese, lived in Belgium for many years where he graduated as a lawyer.
National Reconstruction Minister - Etienne Richard Mbaya
A medical doctor from Katanga, Mbaya spent several years of exile in Germany where he taught Law at Cologne University.
Posts and Telecommunications Minister - Paul Kinkela Vi Kan'si
A well-known Kinshasa lawyer from Bas-Congo province, Kinkela Vi Kan'si was imprisoned several times under Mobutu's rule for political activities. In 1990, he founded the Patriotic Front (PF) party and played a leading role in the Conference Nationale Souveraine.
Health and Social Affairs Minister - Jean-Baptiste Sondji
A medical doctor from Bandundu, Sondji was reputedly fired from Gecamines for his anti-Mobutu stance. He is a member of the PF party.
Agriculture Minister - Paul Bandoma
A leading member of the Union pour la democratie et le progres social (UDPS), Bandoma served three times in Etienne Tshisekedi's governments, twice as defence minister and once as minister of public works. He is from Equateur province.
Civil Service Minister - Paul-Gabriel Kapita Shanbangi
A founder member of UDPS, Shanbangi was minister of transport in Tshisekedi's government in April 1997.
International Cooperation Minister - Thomas Kanza
A veteran Congolese-Zairean politician, Kanza was minister of cooperation in the first Lumumba government in the early 1960's.
Public Works Minister - Tshiumbaka Bishikwabo
Previously a teacher at the Institut Superieur in Bukavu, Bishikwabo became governor of South Kivu after the ADFL takeover before rising to the rank of minister in June, 1997.
Energy Minister - Pierre Lokombe Kitete
Kitete was formerly governor of Maniema.
Education Minister - Kamara Rokahikara
Youth and Sports - Mutob Tshibal
Transport Minister - Henri Movasakani
Environment and Tourism Minister - Eddy Angulu Mabanga
DEPUTY MINISTERS
Information - Julienne Lumumba
Social Affairs - Milulu Mamboleo
Home Affairs - Faustin Munene
Without portfolio, reporting directly to the presidency - Kalumuntabi Biselele
Governors
Bandundu - Marc Katshunga
Bas Congo - M Fukaunzola
Equateur - M Mola
Kasai-Oriental - Mbuyi Mulomba
Kasai-Occidental - Tshitoka Ngalamulume
Katanga - Gaetan Kakudji
Kinshasa City - Theophile Mbemba
Maniema - Musiembe Kese
North Kivu - Leonard Kanyamuhanga Gafundi
South Kivu - Jean Charles Magabe
Orientale (formerly known as Haut-Zaire) - Yagi Sitolo
OTHERS
Cabinet Director, Office of the President - Aubert Mukendi Kizito
DRC Chief of Staff and ADFL Deputy-President - General Anselme Ningada Masusu
National Bank Governor - Jean Claude Masangu Mulongo
Ambassador to the UN - Andre Kapanga
Ambassador to the EU - Justine Mpoyo Kasavubu
ADFL Secretary-General - Deogratias Bugera
Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Administration and Operations - Joseph Kabila
[ENDS]
[The material contained in this communication comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. UN IRIN Tel: +254 2 622123 Fax: +254 2 622129 e-mail: irin@dha.unon.org for more information. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this report, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. IRIN reports are archived on the WWW at: http://www.reliefweb.int or can be retrieved automatically by sending e-mail to archive@dha.unon.org.]
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 1997 15:30:18 +0300 (GMT+0300) From: UN DHA IRIN - Great Lakes <irin@dha.unon.org> Subject: DRC: List of Government Ministers as of 13 October 97 97.10.13 (fwd) Message-ID: <Pine.LNX.3.91.971013151611.6541B-100000@dha.unon.org>
Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar
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