Joseph Kabila was born in 1971. He took office in January, 2001, ten days after the assassination of his father, President Laurent Kabila. Joseph Kabila faced continuous wars in eastern Congo with internal rebel forces supported by the neighboring countries of Uganda and Rwanda.
After high school, Joseph Kabila followed a military curriculum in Tanzania and then he studied at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. When his dad, President Laurent Kabila launched a campaign in 1996 to oust Mobutu, Joseph became the commander of the infamous army of “kadogos” (child soldiers). When his dad became president, Joseph went on to get further training at the PLA National Defense University in Beijing, China.
When Joseph returned from Beijing, he was awarded the rank of Major-General and appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Congo. As chief of staff, he was one of the main military leaders in charge of the Government troops during the Second Congo War (1998-2003).
In his letters home, Dr. Jerry Galloway would often write about the soldiers, rebels and refugees that would come through the mission in Pendjua. The surrounding missions would be in contact with each other to stay apprised of the whereabouts of these different groups.
Update: Joseph Kabila stepped down on January 24, 2019, handing power to Felix Tshisekedi. This was the first peaceful transition of power in the Congo since the country became independent in 1960.
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