Confusion reigns as Kabila son takes reins of power
In an apparent attempt to buy time to safeguard the succession, Congolese officials were insisting that the 61-year-old dictator was wounded but had survived after his residence was enveloped by gunfire on Tuesday.
But state television failed to broadcast pictures of the elder Kabila, and foreign governments, some of which had been allies of the Kinshasa regime, asserted that the president had been shot by associates and died.
The streets of Kinshasa remained quiet last night as people reacted with scepticism to the official line that the elder Kabila was still alive.
Sticking to the government line, Dominique Sakombi, the country's Information Minister, said: "The Government of Public Salvation met in a special session, and decided to entrust the running of the government and military command to General Joseph Kabila."
He insisted that President Kabila was not dead, and added that he looked forward to his "speedy recovery and rapid return amongst us".
Mr Sakombi said that President Kabila was shot by one of his bodyguards "at point blank range".
His statement was flatly contradicted by Belgium, the former colonial power, and Zimbabwe, President Kabila's closest ally, which said he had died after being shot by a general.
It is now thought that President Kabila was shot in the back and leg during an argument with a group of disgruntled generals he had dismissed from their posts. He was then flown to Harare for urgent medical treatment but died on the aircraft before arriving.
Sources in the Kinshasa regime reported that President Kabila had ordered his son to arrest Colonel Kayembe, the deputy defence minister, who reacted by pulling out a gun and shooting President Kabila five times at close range.
Joseph Kabila and others present at the meeting also appear to have been injured in the exchange of fire. Colonel Kayembe was then shot dead.
Moven Machachi, Harare's Defence Minister, said: "President Kabila has died. It was a pure assassination." Other government sources said President Kabila died on the plane.
It was later confirmed that a Congolese military aircraft had landed at Harare, and was still parked at the airport, ready to take the president's body back to Kinshasa.
Joseph Kabila was one of a number of figures in the Kinshasa regime who had been tipped to take over, including Gaetan Kakudji, the Interior Minister.
(The Times, London)
- Michael Dynes in Kinshasa
