Léon Kengo

Léon Kengo Wa Dondo ( May 22nd, 1935 in Libenge ) is a Congolese politician. He's since May 14, 2007 by Joseph Kabila, the second political personality of the Congo, since he was elected president of the Congolese Senate.

Political career

He is the son of a Polish father, his mother belonged to the Tutsi. He was born as a Leon Lubicz in Libenge in the province of Equateur. In 1971, he changed the frame initiated by the long-time president Mobutu " Africanization " in its name Kengo Wa Dondo.

On November 5, 1982, he became Prime Minister for the first time. After his dismissal on October 31, 1986, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs until 1987. With almost four years, this was the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of the country. A second time he took over on November 26, 1988 to May 4, 1990, the Office of the Government. Given the expansion of presidential power were his powers low in the 1980s.

In 1990, established by admission of other parties in addition to the existing single party Mouvement Populaire de la Révolution (MPR ) transitional parliament appointed him in 1994 for a third time as a compromise candidate for prime minister. He took office on 6 July 1994. As an advocate of a free market economy and a strict austerity was expected of him, the rehabilitation of the ailing economy.

During his tenure, he ordered the expulsion of the Lebanese minority, who was accused of involvement in the smuggling of so-called "blood diamonds". The planned 1995 parliamentary elections were canceled because of increasing confusion.

Since the end of 1996, Mobutu's rule gradually broke down and the rebels under Laurent- Désiré Kabila conquered the country. Kengo Wa Dondo was accused, not to wage war against Kabila vigorously enough. Because of the allegations was his Tutsi origin, since Kabila was supported by the Tutsi government of Rwanda and Burundi. On 24 March 1997, he submitted his resignation and left office nine days later. The powerless transitional parliament had earlier decided his impeachment. In May Mobutu went into exile.

Exile and Return

Kengo Wa Dondo withdrew from politics and went to Belgium. In June 2003, it was determined in Belgium for money laundering against him, and he returned to his home on 16 November 2003. In December 2003, there was some confusion because of an allegedly arranged arrest Kengo Wa Dondos for embezzlement of public funds in the era of Mobutu. His opponents accused him again later to promote because of its partial Tutsi descent rebel groups in the east of the country.