Nzanga Mobutu
Encyclopedia
François-Joseph Mobutu Nzanga Ngbangawe (born 1970) is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. He is a son of former president Mobutu Sese Seko
. He was Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Basic Social Needs until Marc 2011, when he was dismissed without cause.
captured Kinshasa
in May 1997.
(UDEMO), a collection of political parties
and civil society associations and non-governmental organisations advocating the restoration of peace, national unity and territorial integrity. He is most popular in the northwestern province of Équateur
, whence his father hailed. In the 2006 presidential election
, he ran as a candidate and placed fourth, with about 4.8% of the vote. Following the first round of voting, Mobutu entered into a platform political coalition with incumbent president Joseph Kabila
to try to rally votes from the Equateur region where Jean-Pierre Bemba
was favored to win. The coalition also involved the political party PALU
of Antoine Gizenga
.
His younger brother, Albert Philipe Giala Kassa Mobutu (b. 1972), and eight other UDEMO candidates were elected to the National Assembly
in the 2006 election.
, Mobutu was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Basic Social Needs in Muzito's government, which was named on October 26, 2008.
On 10 March 2011 he was dismissed from this position. No reason was given.
He is married to Cathy Bemba, a sister of Jean-Pierre Bemba
, with whom he has three children.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. He is a son of former president Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
. He was Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Basic Social Needs until Marc 2011, when he was dismissed without cause.
Background
Nzanga Mobutu is the eldest son of Mobutu Sese Seko by his then-mistress, and later second wife, Bobi Ladawa. Nzanga studied in Belgium, France and Canada before returning to Congo in the mid-1990s. He then worked as an adviser to his father, but fled into exile when rebel leader Laurent-Désiré KabilaLaurent-Désiré Kabila
Laurent-Désiré Kabila was President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from May 17, 1997, when he overthrew Mobutu Sese Seko, until his assassination by his bodyguards on January 18, 2001...
captured Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
in May 1997.
Return to democracy
He is the chairman of the Union of Mobutist DemocratsUnion of Mobutuist Democrats
The Union of Mobutuist Democrats is a Mobutist political party in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is led by Nzanga Mobutu, a son of former president Mobutu Sese Seko....
(UDEMO), a collection of political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and civil society associations and non-governmental organisations advocating the restoration of peace, national unity and territorial integrity. He is most popular in the northwestern province of Équateur
Équateur
Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...
, whence his father hailed. In the 2006 presidential election
Democratic Republic of the Congo general election, 2006
General elections were held in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on July 30, 2006, the first multiparty elections in the country in 41 years. 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.The polls were...
, he ran as a candidate and placed fourth, with about 4.8% of the vote. Following the first round of voting, Mobutu entered into a platform political coalition with incumbent president Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila
Joseph Kabila Kabange is a Congolese politician who has been President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since January 2001. He took office ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila...
to try to rally votes from the Equateur region where Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006. Bemba also leads the Movement for the Liberation of Congo , a rebel group...
was favored to win. The coalition also involved the political party PALU
Palu
Palu is a chartered city on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, located 1,650 km northeast of Jakarta, at . It is the capital of the province of Central Sulawesi. The city sits on the mouth of Palu River, at the head of a long, narrow bay. Because of its sheltered position between mountain...
of Antoine Gizenga
Antoine Gizenga
Antoine Gizenga is a Congolese politician who was Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from December 30, 2006 to 10 October 2008...
.
His younger brother, Albert Philipe Giala Kassa Mobutu (b. 1972), and eight other UDEMO candidates were elected to the National Assembly
National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Composition of the National Assembly...
in the 2006 election.
Government minister
Gizenga became Prime Minister in December 2006, and Mobutu was named Minister of State for Agriculture when Gizenga's government was announced on February 5, 2007, ranking second in the government after Gizenga. When Gizenga was succeeded by Adolphe MuzitoAdolphe Muzito
Adolphe Muzito is a Congolese politician who has been the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2008. Muzito, a member of the Unified Lumumbist Party , was previously Minister of the Budget under Prime Minister Antoine Gizenga from 2007 to 2008.Muzito, who is from Gungu,...
, Mobutu was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Basic Social Needs in Muzito's government, which was named on October 26, 2008.
On 10 March 2011 he was dismissed from this position. No reason was given.
He is married to Cathy Bemba, a sister of Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He was one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006. Bemba also leads the Movement for the Liberation of Congo , a rebel group...
, with whom he has three children.