View source for Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

{{Short description|Congolese government from 2003 to 2006}}

{{Infobox government cabinet
|cabinet_name = Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
|jurisdiction = [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
|flag = Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2003–2006).svg
|flag_border = true
|image = Coat of arms of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (2003-2006).svg
|date_formed = {{Start date|2003|04|07|df=y}}
|date_dissolved = {{End date|2003|06|30|df=y}} 
|government_head = [[Joseph Kabila]]
|legislature_status = [[Coalition government|Coalition]]
|predecessor = [[Joseph Kabila government|Kabila]]
|successor = [[First Gizenga government|Gizenga I]]
}}{{Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}}

The '''Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo''' was tasked with moving from the state riven by the [[Second Congo War]] (1998–2003) to a government based upon a constitution agreed on by consensus. In 2001, President [[Laurent Kabila]] was [[Assassination of Laurent-Désiré Kabila|assassinated]], and his son [[Joseph Kabila]] was named head of state.

==Background==
In July 2002, the [[Pretoria Accord]] was signed on withdrawal of foreign forces. In October 2002, Joseph Kabila negotiated the withdrawal of Rwandan forces occupying eastern Congo. Two months later, the 'Global and All-Inclusive Agreement' was signed by all remaining warring parties to end the fighting and establish a government of national unity.<ref>[http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MHII-65G8B8?OpenDocument Global and Inclusive Agreement on Transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo], signed in Pretoria, South Africa on 16 December 2002</ref>

Prunier writes:
''For a few months after the signing of the Sun City Agreement, things had stagnated as the delegates to the Intra-Congolese Dialogue kept debating in Pretoria about how to turn the piece of paper they had signed into some kind of reality. On April 1, 2003, they finally adopted the draft constitution which had been presented to them on March 6, and they agreed upon the outline of a transitional government.''<ref>[[Gerard Prunier]], ''From Genocide to Continental War: The "Congolese" Conflict and the Crisis of Contemporary Africa'', C. Hurst & Co, 2009, {{ISBN|978-1-85065-523-7}}, 301.</ref>

==History==
{{History of the DRC}}
On April 7, 2003, [[Joseph Kabila]] was sworn in as transitional president.<ref name=Prun301>Prunier, 301.</ref> And on the next day, the last of the four agreed vice-presidents was named, [[Azarias Ruberwa]] for the RCD-G. He joined [[Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi]] for Kabila's government; [[Jean-Pierre Bemba]] for the [[Movement for the Liberation of the Congo|MLC]];  and [[Arthur Z'ahidi Ngoma]] for the political opposition.<ref name=RelRDCChron2003>{{Cite web|url=https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/drc-2003-chronology-events|title=DRC: 2003 chronology of events - Democratic Republic of the Congo &#124; ReliefWeb|website=reliefweb.int|date=5 January 2004 }}</ref>

The first cabinet was announced on July 1.<ref name=Prun301 />

On July 17 2003, the four vice-presidents of the DRC's two-year transitional government took the oath of office in Kinshasa, but a day later on July 18, transitional government officials designated by the RCD-Goma and the MLC refused to take the oath of office because it included swearing allegiance to President Joseph Kabila.<ref name=RelRDCChron2003 />

Over the course of September, a reinforced MONUC presence carried out the "Bunia, weapon-free zone" operation to demilitarize the province.  They were partially successful, though conflicts continue to permeate the region.

On June 11, 2004, the transitional government faced a [[2004 Democratic Republic of the Congo coup attempt|failed coup attempt]] by a renegade faction of the [[Republican Guard (Democratic Republic of the Congo)|presidential guard]] led by [[Major general|Major]] [[Eric Lenge]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=DR Congo 'foils' coup bid |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2004/6/11/dr-congo-foils-coup-bid |access-date=2024-05-14 |website=Al Jazeera |language=en}}</ref>

The transitional period came to end with the completion of the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo general election, 2006|2006 general election]] and the swearing in of Kabila as president on 6 December 2006.

==See also==
*[[2000s in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
*[[Transitional National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]

== References == 
{{reflist}}

{{clear}}
==External links ==
*[https://www.ictj.org/our-work/regions-and-countries/democratic-republic-congo-drc International Center for Transitional Justice, Democratic Republic of the Congo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161110024956/https://www.ictj.org/our-work/regions-and-countries/democratic-republic-congo-drc |date=2016-11-10 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070814231138/https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/cg.html CIA World Factbook]
*[https://www.cia.gov/library/publications//chiefs/chiefs41.html Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments - DRC]{{dead link|date=January 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
*[https://www.un.org/en/peacekeeping/missions/past/monuc ]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070810020220/http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/congojournal/ United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - Ripples of Genocide: Journey through Eastern Congo], testimonials from foreign visitors from 2002 and 2003

{{Democratic Republic of the Congo topics}}{{Cabinets of the Democratic Republic of the Congo}}
[[Category:Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Political organisations based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo]]
[[Category:Provisional governments|Congo, Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the]]
[[Category:Aftermath of the Second Congo War]]