Rise and fall of Africa strongmen: Case of DRC Kabila and dos Santos

Joseph Kabila’s sentencing two weeks ago felt like a shock to many in East Africa and beyond, though the signs were always there. Once hailed as the quiet, reluctant leader who took the reins of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after his father’s assassination in 2001, Kabila spent nearly two decades projecting calm authority while presiding over one of Africa’s most resource-rich but deeply troubled nations. Now, handed a death sentence and leaked investigative files lay bare a former president deeply enmeshed in corruption, state capture, and the systematic plunder of public wealth.

President Kabila’s downfall mirrors the long shadow of another former strongman, Angola’s José Eduardo dos Santos, who ruled for 38 years until 2017.

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