Jean-Pierre Bemba

In this Congolese name, the surname is Bemba and the post-surname is Gombo.
Jean-Pierre Bemba
Bemba in 2005.
Bemba in 2005.
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Transportation
Incumbent
Assumed office
12 June 2024
PresidentFélix Tshisekedi
Prime MinisterJudith Suminwa Tuluka
Deputy Prime Minister
Minister of Defense
In office
23 March 2023 – 12 June 2024
PresidentFélix Tshisekedi
Prime MinisterSama Lukonde
Preceded byGilbert Kabanda Rukemba
Succeeded byGuy Kabombo Muadiamvita
Vice President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office
17 July 2003 – 6 December 2006
PresidentJoseph Kabila
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byPosition abolished
Personal details
Born
Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo

(1962-11-04) 4 November 1962 (age 62)
Bokada, Equateur Province, Republic of the Congo
NationalityCongolese
Political partyMovement for the Liberation of the Congo
Parent
Alma materICHEC Brussels Management School
OccupationPolitician

Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo (born 4 November 1962)[1] is a politician in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). After he served as Deputy Prime Minister of Defense 2023 to 2024, he was moved to the Deputy Prime Minister of Transportation.[2][3][4] He was previously one of four vice-presidents in the transitional government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 17 July 2003 to December 2006.[5] He led the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC), a rebel group turned political party. He received the second-highest number of votes in the 2006 presidential election. In January 2007, he was elected to the Senate.

In 2008, during a trip to Europe, Bemba was arrested on International Criminal Court charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes.[6] He spent the following 10 years in prison at The Hague, The Netherlands; 8 years awaiting trial and verdict, then 2 more years after conviction in 2016.[7] In 2018, the verdicts were overturned on appeal.[8] The court ruled that because the Rome Statute which sets the court's rules does not limit the amount of time a person can spend in prison awaiting trial, Bemba was not entitled to compensation. It called on member states to urgently review the relevant provisions in the statute.[9] No such review has yet taken place. In 2018, Bemba returned to the DRC where he has since been active in national politics.[10]

  1. ^ "Situation In The Central African Republic In The Case Of The Prosecutor V. Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo — Under Seal Urgent Warrant Of Arrest For Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo". International Criminal Court. 23 May 2008. ICC-01/05-01/08-1-tENG-Corr. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  2. ^ "Former rebel leader is named Congo's new Defense Minister". 24 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Former rebel leader is named Congo's new Defense Ministern". Associated Press. 23 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  4. ^ "Congo: PM Tuluka announces long-awaited new government – DW – 05/29/2024". dw.com. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  5. ^ "DR Congo former warlords says he would back opposition candidate". 98.4 Capital FM through Agence France-Presse. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  6. ^ Press releaseInternational Criminal Court Archived 8 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Burke, Jason (21 June 2016). "Jean-Pierre Bemba sentenced to 18 years in prison by international criminal court". The Guardian.
  8. ^ Bowcott, Owen (8 June 2018). "Jean-Pierre Bemba's war crimes conviction overturned". The Guardian.
  9. ^ "International Criminal Court rejects Ex-Congolese VP's damages claim". Reuters. 18 May 2020.
  10. ^ "DRC: Sacred Union members Tshisekedi, Bemba, Katumbi fail to reach an agreement". 15 January 2021.