NAIROBI, 30 October (IRIN) - The
governing Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD), based in the
eastern Congolese town of Goma, has carried out a major reshuffle after
its leader Emile Ilunga resigned at the weekend.
RCD spokesman Kin-Kiey Mulumba told
IRIN on Monday Ilunga admitted the executive team had failed in its work
and that he "recognised the mistakes of his leadership". There
had been mobilisation and communication problems, Ilunga told a meeting
of the movement's founders on Saturday in a prepared speech. He himself
had had "difficulties" and was therefore tendering his resignation
as president, although he would remain a member of the "revolution".
His two vice-presidents, Jean-Pierre Ondekane and Moise Nyarugabo, resigned
at the same time.
Mulumba acknowledged there had been "leadership problems" and that the three-man presidential team often had differences of opinion. However, he said Ilunga's resignation came as a surprise, but it demonstrated the RCD's "political maturity" in that the ideal remained the same whatever the changes in leadership. "Our priority now is to tackle the war currently being waged by [President Laurent-Desire] Kabila in Kasai and Katanga provinces under a reunited leadership," Mulumba told IRIN.
The new president is the former director of the RCD's foreign affairs department, Adolphe Onusumba. Instead of two vice-presidents, he is assisted by the head of a newly-created general secretariat who also coordinates the executive body. The secretary-general was named as Azarias Ruberwa, formerly the deputy head of foreign affairs.
Other major appointments, according to Mulumba, are as follows:
Foreign Affairs Department: Joseph Mudumbi
Interior and Security: Bizima Karaha
Military Activities: Jean-Pierre Ondekane
Communications and spokesman: Kin-Kiey Mulumba
Mobilisation, Youth and Sport: Theo Baruti
National Education: Esiso Asia Amani
Public Works: Emmanuel Kamanzi
Finance: Jean-Marie Emungu
Mines: Nestor Kiyimbi
Justice: Moise Nyarugabo
Economy: Rutong Sambab
Chief of General Staff: Commander Sylvain Mbuki
Rwandan observers were present at the meeting, and regional analysts believe the Rwandan government - which backs the RCD - was implicated in the changes. Onusumba is the RCD's third leader since it took up arms against Kabila in 1998. In May 1999, Ilunga replaced Ernest Wamba dia Wamba who was ousted and went on to form a splinter group, the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie-Mouvement de liberation (RCD-ML), now based in the northeastern town of Bunia.
[ENDS]
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