List of heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo explained

This is a list of European colonial administrators responsible for the territory of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

International Association of the Congo

Prior to the creation of the Congo Free State, the International Association of the Congo (IAC) had signed treaties with over 300 native Congolese chiefs and in effect exercised sovereignty over a large area of the Congo Basin. The IAC was headquartered in Belgium and run by a committee under the presidency of Maximilien Strauch. Prior to the creation of the office of Administrator-General, authority on the ground in the Congo had been exercised by a Chief of Expedition, who until April 1884 was Henry Morton Stanley.

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Name
width=120 rowspan=2PositionTerm of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Francis de Winton
Administrator-General22 April 18841 July 1885

Congo Free State

Monarch (Sovereign of the Congo Free State)

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Namewidth=120 rowspan=2Position
Reign startReign ended
Leopold II of Belgium
Sovereign1 July 188515 November 1908

Administrators-General / Governors-General

For the list of the active colonial administrators that administered the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908, see the List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo for further information.

Belgian Congo

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Name
width=120 rowspan=2PositionTerm of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Théophile Wahis
Governor-General15 November 190820 May 1912
Félix Fuchs
20 May 19125 January 1916
Eugène Henry
5 January 191630 January 1921
Maurice Lippens
30 January 192124 January 1923
Martin Rutten
24 January 192327 December 1927
Auguste Tilkens
27 December 192714 September 1934
Pierre Ryckmans
14 September 193431 December 1946
Eugène Jungers
31 December 19461 January 1952
Léo Pétillon
1 January 195212 July 1958
Hendrik Cornelis
12 July 195830 June 1960

On 1 July 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo (République du Congo).

This article lists the heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) since the country's independence in 1960.

The current head of state is President Félix Tshisekedi, since 24 January 2019.

Heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960–present)

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Republic of the Congo (1960–1964)

№NameBirth–DeathTook officeLeft officePolitical Party
Presidents
1align=center Joseph Kasa-Vubualign=center align=center 1910–1969align=center 1 July 1960align=center 1 August 1961align=center ABAKO
2align=center Antoine Gizengaalign=center align=center 1925–2019align=center 1 August 1961align=center 5 August 1961align=center Parti Solidaire Africain
3Joseph Kasa Vubu1910–19695 August 19611 August 1964Independent

Democratic Republic of the Congo (1964–1971)

Presidents
align=center Joseph Kasa-Vubualign=center align=center 1910–1969align=center 1 August 1964align=center 24 November 1965align=center ABAKO
4align=center Joseph-Désiré Mobutualign=center align=center 1930–1997align=center 24 November 1965align=center 27 October 1971align=center Military /
Popular Movement of the Revolution

Republic of Zaire (1971–1997)

President
align=center Mobutu Sese Sekoalign=center align=center 1930–1997align=center 27 October 1971align=center 16 May 1997align=center Popular Movement of the Revolution

Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present)

Presidents
5align=center Laurent-Désiré Kabilaalign=center align=center 1939–2001align=center 17 May 1997align=center 16 January 2001
align=center Independent
6align=center Joseph Kabilaalign=center align=center 1971–align=center 26 January 2001
align=center 24 January 2019align=center Independent /
People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
7align=center Félix Tshisekedialign=center align=center 1963–align=center 24 January 2019align=center Incumbentalign=center Union for Democracy and Social Progress

The Vice-Presidents were

Representing civil society

Under the 2006 constitution, which was promulgated in February 2006, the position of Vice-President becomes obsolete, after the inauguration of the first President of the DRC, elected democratically by direct universal suffrage. This inauguration occurred on December 6, 2006. Since then, the President of the Senate is designated to step in as interim president.

president of the Senate

The president of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the presiding officer in the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Below is a list of office-holders:

NameEntered officeLeft office
Joseph IléoJune 1960September 1960
Victor KoumoricoJuly 1961November 1962
Isaac KalonjiNovember 1962October 1965
Sylvestre MudingayiOctober 196524 June 1967
Senate abolished24 June 19677 April 2002
Pierre Marini Bodho7 April 200211 May 2007
Léon Kengo Wa Dondo11 May 20075 April 2019
Léon Mamboleo5 April 201927 July 2019
Alexis Thambwe Mwamba27 July 20195 February 2021
Modeste Bahati Lukwebo2 March 2021

List of officeholders

PortraitName
ElectionTerm of officePolitical partyPresident(s)
Took officeLeft officeTime in office

Republic of the Congo (1960–1971)

Patrice Lumumba
196024 June 1960
5 September 1960
Mouvement National Congolais
Joseph Kasa-Vubu

Joseph Iléo
—5 September 196020 September 1960Mouvement National Congolais
Albert Ndele
—20 September 19603 October 1960Independent
Justin Bomboko
—3 October 19609 February 1961Independent
Antoine Gizenga

—13 December 19605 August 1961Parti Solidaire Africain
Joseph Iléo
—9 February 19612 August 1961Mouvement National Congolais
Cyrille Adoula
—2 August 196130 June 1964Mouvement National Congolais
Moïse Tshombe
196510 July 196413 October 1965CONACO
Évariste Kimba
—13 October 196525 November 1965CONAKAT
Léonard Mulamba
—25 November 196526 October 1966MilitaryJoseph-Désiré Mobutu

Post abolished (26 October 1966 – 27 October 1971)

Republic of Zaire (1971–1997)

Post abolished (27 October 1971 – 6 July 1977)
Mpinga Kasenda
19776 July 1977[1] 6 March 1979Popular Movement of the RevolutionMobutu Sese Seko

Bo-Boliko Lokonga
—6 March 197927 August 1980Popular Movement of the Revolution
Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond
—27 August 198018 April 1981Popular Movement of the Revolution
N'Singa Udjuu
198223 April 1981[2] 5 November 1982Popular Movement of the Revolution
Léon Kengo wa Dondo
—5 November 198231 October 1986Popular Movement of the Revolution
Post vacant (31 October 1986 – 22 January 1987)
Mabi Mulumba
198722 January 19877 March 1988Popular Movement of the Revolution
Sambwa Pida Nbagui
—7 March 198826 November 1988Popular Movement of the Revolution
Léon Kengo wa Dondo
—26 November 19884 May 1990Popular Movement of the Revolution
Lunda Bululu
—4 May 19901 April 1991Popular Movement of the Revolution
Mulumba Lukoji
—1 April 199129 September 1991Popular Movement of the Revolution
Étienne Tshisekedi
—29 September 1991[3] 1 November 1991Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Bernardin Mungul Diaka
—1 November 199125 November 1991Democratic Assembly for the Republic
Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond
—25 November 199115 August 1992Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans
Étienne Tshisekedi
—15 August 199218 March 1993Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Faustin Birindwa
—18 March 199314 January 1994Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Léon Kengo wa Dondo
—6 July 19942 April 1997Union of Independent Democrats
Étienne Tshisekedi
—2 April 19979 April 1997Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Likulia Bolongo
—9 April 1997[4] 16 May 1997Military

Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present)

Post abolished (16 May 1997 – 30 December 2006)
Antoine Gizenga
200630 December 200610 October 2008Unified Lumumbist PartyJoseph Kabila

Adolphe Muzito
201110 October 20086 March 2012Unified Lumumbist Party
Louis Alphonse Koyagialo
—6 March 201218 April 2012Unified Lumumbist Party
Matata Ponyo Mapon
—18 April 201217 November 2016People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
Samy Badibanga
—17 November 201618 May 2017Union for Democracy and Social Progress
Bruno Tshibala
—18 May 20177 September 2019Union for Democracy and Social Progress
2018Félix Tshisekedi

Sylvestre Ilunga
—7 September 201927 April 2021People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy
Sama Lukonde
—27 April 2021IncumbentFuture of Congo

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Congo

In 1960 the State of Katanga declared independence from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. United Nations troops crushed it in Operation Grand Slam.

See also

Sources

Notes and References

  1. News: Mobutu Appoints a Prime Minister . 7 July 1977 . 15 April 2022 . Reuters . New York Times.
  2. News: AROUND THE WORLD; Ex-Official Is Appointed Prime Minister of Zaire . 24 April 1981 . 15 April 2022 . Reuters . New York Times.
  3. News: Zaire's Dictator Agrees to Share Power With Foe . 30 September 1991 . 25 October 2022 . Kenneth B. Noble . New York Times.
  4. News: Mobutu Imposes Military Rule in Zaire . 10 April 1997 . 15 April 2022 . . New York Times.

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