Movement for the Liberation of Congo
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| Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo | |
|---|---|
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| Leader | Jean Pierre Bemba |
| Founded | April 5, 2003 (the armed rebel group of the same, and from whch this party was formed was created in September 1998, during the First Congo War) |
| Headquarters | 6,Avenue du Port, Gombe, Kinshasa |
| Type | Party |
| Political Ideology | Social liberalism, Humanism |
| International Affiliation | |
| Colours | Blue, Yellow |
| The 2006 Presidential Election Candidate | Jean Pierre Bemba |
| Website | MLC CONGO |
| See also | Constitution of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Congolese Politics |
The Movement for the Liberation of Congo (French: Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo) is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War. It is now a powerful force in the interim government. It is often referred to by its original French name Mouvement de Libération du Congo and sometimes Mouvement de Libération Congolais.
During the war, the MLC was backed by the government of Uganda and controlled much of the north of the country, in particular the province of Equateur. It is led by former businessman Jean-Pierre Bemba, who became vice-president following the 2002 peace agreement. The town of Gbadolite is the headquarters of the MLC. The MLC was the primary instrument of Uganda during the war, as the Rally for Congolese Democracy was dominated by Rwanda. As part of the Inter-Congolese dialogue, Brig-Gen Malik Kijege of the MLC was named head of military logistics, while Maj-Gen Dieudonné Amuli Bahigwa was named head of the navy. Two of the DRC's ten military districts were also given to the MLC, and Bemba is allowed to appoint and dismiss the foreign minister of the DRC.
The MLC candidate, Jean-Pierre Bemba, came second in the 2006 presidential election and gained 64 out of 500 seat in the parliament - the second highest number for any political party.
