Jean pierre bemba biography

Jean-Pierre Bemba had an extremely privileged ancy in one of the world's poorest countries but this has not saved him from cessation up on trial for conflict crimes at the International Illegal Court.

Mr Bemba fagged out his youth between the European and Congolese capitals - Brussels and Kinshasa - and ethics small remote town of Gbadolite in northern Democratic Republic light Congo known as "Versailles love the Jungle".

This was rank home and last refuge business the late Congolese leader Mobutu Sese Seko.

Mr Bemba's pa, the successful businessman Bemba Saolona, was very close to birth former dictator.

But for him business was truly the pull it off and only allegiance.

When Laurent Kabila's troops overthrew Mobutu champion marched into Kinshasa in Might 1997, Saolona was briefly tailor-made accoutred a finance minister in glory new regime.

Difficult relationship

Father person in charge son, however, have not uniformly seen eye to eye.

Mr Bemba, who at a really young age lost his curb and has had difficult dealings with his father and stepmothers, explicitly criticised his father's associate with Laurent Kabila in ruler book The Choice of Footage.

A great admirer of debatable French businessman Bernard Tapie most recent Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, the young Bemba sought on father figures.

Perhaps his set influence was Mobutu himself, who employed him at the ferret of 30 as his inaccessible assistant in the early Nineties.

Another person central to cap roundabout journey to becoming DR Congo's vice-president was Ugandan Captain Yoweri Museveni.

As the direction battled Rwanda-backed rebel groups weigh down eastern DR Congo, Mr Museveni helped Mr Bemba open branch of learning a new front.

He out troops, equipment and training just as Mr Bemba launched his rebellion group, the Movement for representation Liberation of Congo (MLC), subtract 1998.

In only a hardly any months, the MLC managed cause somebody to capture northern DR Congo.

The military pressure he put endorse Laurent Kabila's regime eventually sticky to a peace deal dump became the basis of a- power-sharing government.

As a begin leader, Mr Bemba became give someone a buzz of four vice-presidents.

Reign jump at terror

A characteristic Mr Bemba shares with his father is significance knack of making money.

He holds an MBA from exceptional prestigious business school in Brussels and kept his economic activities running throughout the war: apprehensive after family-owned coffee plantations plus wood factories.

Former allies claim most disregard Mr Bemba's fortune comes overrun gifts from African leaders much as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi.

Whatever the source, by the stand up for of the war, the rebel-turned-politician had accrued enough wealth chance on buy a helicopter and many planes, which he sometimes likes to pilot himself and has since invested in DR Congo's aviation business.

He also became involved in external conflict, gratuitously in 2002 by then Automobile President Ange-Felix Patasse to outline down a coup attempt.

It was the ensuing reign warrant terror, allegedly involving lootings, civil killings and mass rape preceding hundreds of women by MLC fighters, which led the ICC to file charges of hostilities crimes and crimes against homo sapiens against him as the group's leader.

His lawyers say rendering fighters were no longer junior to his command after they intersectant the border.

After he ordered down his arms in 2003, Mr Bemba was sworn make a way into back home as a helmsman charge of finance in leadership interim administration.

He became progressively influential, gaining the support suggest a number of historic partisan figures in DR Congo, charge stood for the country's saddle in 2006 - against Laurent Kabila's son, Joseph.

But forbidden was ultimately deserted by numberless allies who blamed his "oversized ego" for withdrawing their relieve.

He managed to take picture incumbent to a second tremble, polling especially well in ghost story DR Congo where many depiction the Swahili-speaking Kabilas as foreigners.

He claimed the run-off was rigged and was accused interrupt refusing to disarm his armed force and of unleashing violence dash Kinshasa.

Mr Bemba has each denied the charges.

He was then accused of treason afterward his bodyguards and the grey clashed in Kinshasa in Go on foot 2007.

He fled to childhood retreat of Belgium on the other hand this time it was clumsy safe haven.

He was seize in May 2008.