Congo's former rebel leader Jean-Pierre Bemba appointed as country's deputy PM, defence minister

Jean-Pierre Bemba, a former rebel leader in Congo jailed by the International Criminal Court (ICC), was appointed as the country's deputy prime minister and defence minister in a cabinet reshuffle. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press on Friday (March 24), Bemba's appointment was announced on Thursday on state television by President Felix Tshisekedi’s spokesperson.

Bemba was Congo's vice president from 2003 and 2006 and was later imprisoned by the ICC for over 10 years, accused of murder, rape and pillaging committed by his Movement for the Liberation of Congo forces in the neighbouring country of Central African Republic.

He was acquitted by the ICC in 2018. His return to politics comes nine months ahead of the presidential election in Congo. According to analysts, Bemba's comeback was likely decided to help Tshisekedi win votes in Congo’s northeast, where Bemba’s rebel group was popular in the 1990s and 2000s, the Associated Press reported.

Benjamin Hunter, Africa analyst for Verisk Maplecroft,a risk assessment firm, said, “This is clearly a pre-election reshuffle and Jean-Pierre Bemba has been appointed to bring his supporters in line to rally behind the president ahead of the race."

Hunter added that despite Bemba's previous imprisonment by the ICC, he is a political heavyweight with patronage networks and a contact book to help Tshisekedi’s election campaign.

Conflict in eastern Congo has been simmering for decades, and President Felix Tshisekedi came to office in 2019 promising to stop the country's instability and violence, but it only increased.

Apart from Bemba's appointment, other new government postings in Thursday's cabinet reshuffle include Tshisekedi’s former chief of staff, Vital Kamerhe, who was named the minister of the economy, the report said. And Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, a former warlord in Ituri province was appointed minister of state for national integration.

(With inputs from agencies)

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