Vital Kamerhe lwa Kanyiginyi nkingi (born march 4th,1959) in Bukavu is a Congolese politician. Former Speaker of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and former Minister of Information, he is currently Honorary President of the National Assembly, founder and leader of the UNC party (Union pour la Nation Congolaise) and candidate to the 2011 presidential election in the DRC.
Vital Kamerhe is a prominent and controversial figures of the Second War and the subsequent Peace Process in Democratic Republic of Congo. He was even nicknamed the "Peacemaker." After several cabinet ministers, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner General of the Government responsible for relations with MONUC (United Nation Mission in Congo) to finally become Commissioner General of the Government responsible for monitoring the "peace process" in the Great Lakes region (Rwanda,Uganda, Burundi,D.R.Congo) a position he held until his appointment as Minister of Press and Information in the transitional government in 2003.
In a secret cable[1] of a U.S. diplomat based in Kinshasa and revealed by Wikileaks, Mr. Garvelink delivers a more nuanced portrait: "Although Kamerhe has carefully cultivated a positive image in Congolese political circles and with many prominent foreign observers, his reputation as a modernizing, democratic and honest leader is perhaps not fully consistent with reality (...) All Western representatives we spoke with agree that Kamerhe lies frequently in efforts to gain political advantage".
Biography
Early life and education
Born in Bukavu, Sud-Kivu, on March 4, 1959, Vital Kamerhe Lwa Kanyiginyi Nkingi[2][3] is the son of Constantin Kamerhe Kanyginyi and Alphonsine Mwa Nkingi. The couple is originally from the Shi community of the Walungu territory. Vital Kamerhe is married and father of 8 children.
His grandfather, Sir Kanyiginyi is derived - as the etymology of its name indicates - of the royal clan of Banyiginya in Rwanda. This latter and much of his family remained in the prefecture of Cyangungu, sharing the Rwandan border with the South-Kivu Province (DRC).
Vital began his primary school in Bukavu and then in Goma. He then continued in the Kasai-Oriental, in Gandajika, where he finishes his primary school. School years 1975-1976 and 1976–1977, he attended the Institut Sadisana (former College St. Francois-Xavier) in Kikwit Sacré-Coeur,Bandundu province. He then moved to Kananga (Kasai-Occidental Province) and finally, after one year, to Mbuji-Mayi where he obtained his State degree in 1980 (Institut Mulemba).
This experience led him to learn all four national languages of Congo namely Kikongo, Lingala, Kiswahili and Tshiluba. He also speaks fluent French.[3]
From there he completed his studies at the University of Kinshasa, where he received his degree in Economics in 1987 with distinction. There he stayed as teaching assistant.[4]
Political career
Under Mobutu
Kamerhe started his political career in 1984 with the UDPS (Union pour la Démocratie et le Progrès Social). During the democratic transition under Mobutu, he was a member of the Rassemblement des forces Sociales et Federalistes (RSF) of Vincent de Paul Lunda Bululu and was also president of the Jeunesse de l'Union Sacrée de l'opposition Radicale et Alliés (JUSORAL), an opposition youth league. Between 1993 and 1995 he works in several public functions:
- 1993 : Director of the Cabinet of the Ministry of the Environment, Tourism and Directeur de Cabinet au Ministère de l’Environnement, Tourisme et Nature Conservation
- 1994 : Coordinator of the Prime Minister's Cabinet
- 1994-1995: Director of the Cabinet for the Minister of Higher Education and University, Mushobekwa Kalimba wa Katana, member of Lunda Bululu's RSF
There is sources revealing that during Mobutu one party system, his first political experience was within Mobutist youth league (Front des Jeunes Mobutistes -FROJEMO), led by General Etienne Nzimbi Ngbale Kongo wa Basa.[5]
The first Congo war and the regime of the AFDL
When the first war of aggression from Rwanda and Uganda (with strong support USA,UK, Germany, Belgium and Israel) disguised as internal rebellion (Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire ,ADFLC) ended in 1997, Mzee Laurent-Desiré Kabila became president of the Republic. From opposition to Mobutu to the new regime with Mzee Laurent is just another step taken in by Vital Kamerhe in 1997.
Kamerhe becomes the deputy chief of staff of Etienne-Richard Mbaya, the minister of reconstruction, then:
- From 1997 to 1998 : Director of the Service National (a quasi-military service set up by Laurent Kabila)
- In 1998 : Finance Counselor at the Ministère de la Défense Nationale et Anciens Combattants, with the general Denis Kalume
Second Congo War and the advent of Kabila's Son
True - and slowly - climb would begin with the outbreak of Congo Second War, that of August 1998. Advisor of General Denis Kalume AFDL government, he meets in late August, with a young captain named Joseph Kabila, during the defense of the Kinshasa airport. Since August 2, landed on the Atlantic coast, an international Tutsi coalition (Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Eritrea), once again disguised as internal rebellion RCD (Congolese Rally for Democracy) tries desperately to capture Kinshasa airport. According to the story, the mutual sympathy arises immediately between the two men.
The year after (1999) Vital Kamerhe became the Deputy Chief of Staff to the Ministry of Reconstruction.
Shortly after, during the conference in Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, it was the turn of the President, Mzee Laurent Desire Kabila, to discover the talent - and vitality - the young Vital Kamerhe. For various heads of state, he was asked to explain the context of the current war in the DRC.
Back home, Mzee will make the Commissioner General to the Commissioner General of government affairs for MONUC for the political, logistical and Finance (2000-2002), where he assisted Professor Ntwaremba alongside Vangu Mambweni my Busana.
On the death of Mzee in January 2001 in circumstances still covered with secrecy, Joseph Kabila became president of the Republic. The new president made a U-turn on the appropriate course of action to bring the country out of the imbroglio: negotiation with the new attackers, who were also their allies during the first war.
Vital Kamerhe was appointed to the key post of Commissioner General of the Government responsible for monitoring the peace process in the Great Lakes region he is one of the principal negotiators of the 2002 peace deal.[6], a strategic and key position due to the circumstances.
International recognition
Naturally his office becomes the epicenter of a Congolese diplomacy oriented to peace negotiations. His office attracted Western diplomats serving in or accredited to the DRC Kinshasa, deeply involved in fomenting the war and play firefighter. Mr. Vital Kamerhe led the Government to the component Inter-Congolese Dialogue who devote to internal stakeholders, the sharing of power as the price to make against a promise of peace. Those negotiatons gave however State and non-states sponsors of this violence, the guardianship of the country through MONUC (UN Mission in Congo) and CIAT (International Committee to Support the Transition).
For the population, this resulted to the mere shift from an open war that at one point had swallowed up to seven African armies (the first African World War) to a low intensity war in eastern part of the country that there will be more than six million victims.
Nicknamed "le Pacificateur", the "Peacemaker", Vital Kamerhe is however appointed Minister of Press and Information of the transition from 2003 to 2004.. As Commissioner General of the Government responsible for monitoring the peace process in the
Role in the peace process of the Great Lakes region
A founding member of the PPRD party in 2002, Vital Kamerhe was one of the leading figures in the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, In 2003, he is appointed Minister of Press and Information in the transitional government.
Role in the 2006 General Election Campaign
In July 2004, he takes on the leadership of the PPRD and prepares Joseph Kabila's election campaign, which he receives a lot of credit for. He is elected as parliamentarian in Bukavu with one of the highest scores in the country and on December 29, 2006 he is elected president of the National Assembly.[5]
More Recent Developments
In 2009, as president of the National Assembly he questions the president Joseph Kabila and his own party over the Umoja Wetu operations that allowed several thousand Rwandan troops to deploy into the Congo without informing the parliament.[7] On January 21, 2009 he releases a statement to Radio Okapi expressing his disappointment[8] for the joint military operations between the Congolese and Rwandan army in the Kivu, conducted without informing the National Assembly and the Senate and thus violating the article 213 of the constitution.[9]
On March 25, 2009 he delivers a speech resigning as President of the National Assembly.[10][11]
On December 14, 2010 Kamerhe officially quits the PPRD announcing his candidacy to the Presidential Elections of 2011 and the creation of his new party,[12] the UNC (Union pour la Nation Congolaise),[13] which is expected to have its official inauguration in February 2011.
References
- ↑ « 194716″; »09KINSHASA191″; »Embassy Kinshasa »; »SECRET »; »VZCZCXRO6828 OO RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHRN DE RUEHKI #0191/01 0611415 ZNY SSSSS ZZH O 021415Z MAR 09
- ↑ "CSIS - The Road to Presidential Elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Feb 2, 2011" "The question of the name and nationality is part of a legitimate concern of the congolese people who views Rwanda as a threat. Since 1997 all wars, internal or exported "rebellions" that have caused havoc and killed over 6 millions innoncent victims in Congo are all connected in one way another to Rwanda. Refusing to evade the question, Vital Kamerhe speaks about this issue during the conference held at the CSIS, in Washington DC on February 2nd, 2011. The question and answer related to this topic can be heard starting at 00:56:26"
- ↑ a b " Élogieux cursus de Vital Kamerhe, président l’Assemblée nationale ", January 10 2007, copy on CongoForum.be
- ↑ "Radio Okapi (2006)"
- ↑ a b "Fresh air in Congolese politics"
- ↑ "CNN - DR Congo peace deal signed - December 17, 2002", "accessed on 01/30/2011"
- ↑ "Call for DR Congo speaker to quit", AFP, 27 February 2009.
- ↑ "Kabila decision incensed Congolese", Sapa-AFP (IOL), 22 January 2009.
- ↑ "Constitution de la République Démocratique du Congo"
- ↑ "LAVDC Radio - Jeudi 26 mars 2009"
- ↑ Congolese assembly speaker quits In: BBC, 25 March 2009. Abgerufen am 29. Januar 2011
- ↑ "DECLARATION POLITIQUE DE L’HONORABLE VITAL KAMERHE, PRESIDENT NATIONAL DE L’UNION POUR LA NATION CONGOLAISE, UNC, en sigle (Kinshasa, Mardi 14 décembre 2010)"
- ↑ "UNC Party Flyer - released on December 14, 2010"