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His Excellency Joseph Linguma | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
|
In office 20 July 1999 – 30 December 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Alphonse Sankuru |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Jacques Kanyama |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
April 2, 1971 Sakania, Katanga Province |
| Nationality | Congolese |
| Political party | Christian Democratic Party |
| Alma mater |
Sorbonne University Royal Military Academy (Belgium) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
.svg){kind=small} Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Branch/service | Land Forces |
| Years of service | 1988—1999 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Battles/wars | Congo War |
Joseph Linguma (born 4 February 1971) is a Congolese general and politician who served as the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1999 to 2016. Originally he had joined the Armed Forces of Zaire during the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko and studied in Belgium at the Royal Military Academy, from 1988 to 1991. After his return he served in a paratrooper regiment, and during the Congo War in 1996 he organised the only effective defense against Rwandan military forces as the rest of the Zairian army collapsed. This made him a popular young commander (being only in his twenties at the time), and after the brief presidency of the Rwandan rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila, his successor Louis Alphonse Sankuru appointed Linguma as Chief of Army Staff. He solidified his support base in the Congolese military, and in 1999 he defeated Sankuru in the presidential election.