Alexis Thambwe Mwamba
Encyclopedia
Alexis Thambwe Mwamba is a Congolese
politician who has been the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
since 2008.
Thambwe-Mwamba was a Minister of Public Works under the government of Mobutu Sese Seko
.
During the Second Congo War
, Thambwe-Mwamba was a member of the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo
led by Jean Pierre Bemba that controlled much of the north of the country. A Belgian magistrate
investigated Thambwe-Mwamba for money laundering, over payments he allegedly received to finance the war from international trafficking of coltan
.
He was a Minister Of Planning and Reconstruction in the Transitional Government
from 2003 to 2006. He was elected
as an independent member of the National Assembly
for Kindu
in the 2006 general election
and joined the government led by President-elect Joseph Kabila
. He was appointed Foreign Minister.
In late August, 2009 shots were fired at his house as a threat against testifying in the trial at the International Criminal Court
of Bemba.
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...
politician who has been the Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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...
since 2008.
Thambwe-Mwamba was a Minister of Public Works under the government of 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...
.
During the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
, Thambwe-Mwamba was a member of the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo
Movement for the Liberation of Congo
The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War. It subsequently took part in the transitional government and is now...
led by Jean Pierre Bemba that controlled much of the north of the country. A Belgian magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
investigated Thambwe-Mwamba for money laundering, over payments he allegedly received to finance the war from international trafficking of coltan
Coltan
Coltan is the industrial name for columbite–tantalite, a dull black metallic mineral from which the elements niobium and tantalum are extracted. The niobium-dominant mineral is columbite, hence the "col" half of the term...
.
He was a Minister Of Planning and Reconstruction in the Transitional Government
Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo was tasked with moving from the state riven by the Second Congo War to a government based upon a constitution agreed on by consensus. In 2001 President Laurent Kabila was assassinated and his son Joseph Kabila was named head of state...
from 2003 to 2006. He was elected
Members of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2006-2011
Members of the National Assembly elected for the 2006-2011 term were as follows:-Mai-Ndombe District - 13 deputies :* Bandundu ville - Prince Sylvestre Makila Ngakiber * Bolobo - Barthelemy Botswali Lengomo * Inongo -...
as an independent member of the National Assembly
National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Composition of the National Assembly...
for Kindu
Kindu
Kindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Congo River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu....
in the 2006 general 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...
and joined the government led by President-elect 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...
. He was appointed Foreign Minister.
In late August, 2009 shots were fired at his house as a threat against testifying in the trial at the International Criminal Court
International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression .It came into being on 1 July 2002—the date its founding treaty, the Rome Statute of the...
of Bemba.