Assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila

Assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila
The mausoleum of Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Kabila was buried inside the building.
Location	[fr], Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates	4°21′50″S 15°15′02″E / 4.3639°S 15.2506°E / -4.3639; 15.2506Coordinates: 4°21′50″S 15°15′02″E / 4.3639°S 15.2506°E / -4.3639; 15.2506
Date	19 January 2001
Attack type	Assassination
Weapon	Revolver (unspecified)
Deaths	2
Victim	Laurent-Désiré Kabila
Assailant	Rashidi Kasereka[1]

Palais de Marbre, Kinshasa

The location of the assassination attempt.

Laurent-Désiré Kabila, the incumbent President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was assassinated in his office inside his official residence at the  [fr], Kinshasa on 16 January 2001. The assassin who killed him was an 18 year old boy named Rashidi Kasereka, who was later shot dead. It was believed that some former child soldiers (kadogos) were part of this plan.

Background[]

Kabila's reputation had caught up with him as he was held responsible for the deaths of many kadogos. The day before his assassination, Kabila had overseen the execution of 47 kadogos who were accused of plotting to kill him. His reputation with the army had plummeted and Kabila's life was in danger.^[1]

In November 2000, Kabila thought that he had discovered a plot against him, and had arrested, tormented, and killed soldiers loyal to Commandant Anselme Masasu Nindaga, who had days earlier made a speech at a reunion for 1,200 kadogos in Kinshasa.^[2] The plot to assassinate Kabila started in early January 2001, when a group of kadogos went to Brazzaville and drew up a plan which formed part of Operation Mbongo Zero.^[1]

Operation Mbongo Zero[]

Laurent-Désiré Kabila.

Operation Mbongo Zero was the plan that was drawn up by the conspirators that explained how the conspirators would penetrate key positions at the capital, which included the Marble Palace. Mbongo means "bull" in Swahili. After gaining access to the palace, the penetrators would approach the president with a revolver and fire at him. This group of perpetrators were kadogos who had fought with Kabila against Mobutu Sese Seko's military dictatorship. Kasereka was reported to have said "I will kill him".^[3]

Attack[]

On 16 January 2001, the assassin entered the president's office as Kabila was discussing with an economics adviser, Emile Mota,^[4] about a forthcoming summit meeting with France, which he hoped would protect his presidency of the Congo. The assassin bent over Kabila, and, when the president leaned towards him, thinking the bodyguard wanted to speak to him, pulled out a revolver and shot the president four times. The assassin escaped the palace with other conspirators amidst gunfire.^[1]

Former Health Minister Leonard Mashako Mamba was next door to the office when Kabila was shot, and arrived immediately after the assassination. Mwenze Kongolo had been waiting for admission to the palace at 1:45 pm and heard gunshots being fired inside the building.^[4] Other bodyguards rushed into the room and fired at the assassin, who was hit first in the leg, then twice more to make sure he was dead.^[4] After 15 minutes, Kabila was in a helicopter headed to a clinic in Gombe, Kinshasa. Curfew that day started at 6pm, and after 8 hours, a motorcade set off from the clinic for the long drive to N'djili Airport, escorting the ambulance.^[4]

Kabila was transported to Harare, Zimbabwe, for medical treatment, but was declared dead on 18 January 2001 at 10 am.^[5]

Funeral[]

Kabila had a state funeral on 20 January 2001, when he was flown to Baudouinville, his home village, then to Lubumbashi, then back to Kinshasa.^[6] Kabila was buried in the Mausolée de Laurent Désiré Kabila, in Kinshasa. Armed soldiers from Zimbabwe stood around the People's Palace, where the funeral took place, and nearby roads were blocked by armored cars. Hundreds of troops from another war ally, Angola, had also been called.^[5]

The presidents of Angola and Zimbabwe were also present at the funeral.^[7]

Aftermath[]

Joseph Kabila succeeded his father to the Presidency of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

After his father's death, Joseph Kabila succeeded his father at the young age of 29 due to the statement that if he [Laurent] were to die in office, that Joseph would take over.^[6] Some individuals were accused of being involved in a plot to overthrow his him as well. The government had been stabilized even through the loss of power. Kabila had a state funeral on the 20, when he was flown to Baudouinville, his home village, then to Lubumbashi, then back to Kinshasa.^[6] He was buried in the Mausolée de Laurent Désiré Kabila, or in English, The Mausoleum of Laurent Désiré Kabila.

After the assassination, a group of kadogos were eventually arrested and admitted to be part of the operation.^[3] The reason behind the attack was revealed, the reason is revenge after Kabila betrayed them after meeting with one of the kadogo's longtime enemy, Paul Kagame.^[1] According to the Justice Minister Mwenze Kongolo, the killer was Rashidi Kasereka, who was shot later while escaping the palace.^[1]

It has also been assumed that a bodyguard had shot Kabila.^[8] An investigation found 135 people who were accused of the killing of Kabila, including 4 children.^[9] Some sources stated 115 were accused.^[10] No one was found to be the killer of Kabila. The RFI had let out a radio message in France of Kabila's death. Foreign Minister Louis Michel told RTBF that Kabila's death was not a coup d'etat but was rather "an argument that descended into violence".^[11] Michel had also stated that "[Kabila was] dead, killed by his own bodyguard, who had "apparently fired two bullets."

The assassin, Kasereka was in the Brazzaville-Kinshasa area before his death. 26 people, including Kabila's own cousin, Colonel Eddy Kapend, were sentenced to death, although they weren't under any capital punishment. 45 were proclaimed innocent and exonerated. 64 defendants were jailed.^[9] According to the German press agency DPA, the alleged summary had seen the execution of Commandant Masasu and 34 of his colleagues. The persecution of members of ethnic groups from eastern Congo continued.

In Goma, a spokesperson had confirmed that officers of the Congolese Armed Forces had staged a coup d'état against Kabila. Interior minister Gaetan Kakudjihad denied this fact.^[12] Eddy Kapend made the following appearance on the Congolese television: “To the army Chief of Staff, to commander of ground, air and naval forces and all regional military commanders: I order you to take charge of your units.” He continued, “Until further notice, no guns shall be fired for whatever reason.”^[12]

19 years later, on 8 January 2021, President Félix Tshisekedi had pardoned 28 of the convicted inmates who served their sentences in 2005, from the Makala Prison in Kinshasa.^[13] The countries involved have been speculated to be Rwanda which had been rivals with the Congo for a long period of time, and Angola.

Filmography[]

Between 2009 and 2011, journalists Arnaud Zajtman and Marlène Rabaud researched and produced an investigative film about Kabila's killing with Al Jazeera. The film, titled Murder in Kinshasa, concludes that those convicted of Kabila's death are innocent, and that the assassination was in fact organized by Congolese rebel forces with the support of the Rwandan government, and approval of the United States.^[14][15][16]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Lemarchand, René (2009). The Dynamics of Violence in Central Africa. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 9780812241204.
• Reyntjens, Filip (2009). The Great African War: Congo and Regional Geopolitics, 1996-2006. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9780521111287.

External links[]

• The Guardian Article