Jean-Pierre Bemba

The Rassemblement a large coalition dominated by the Union pour la démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS) Congo's oldest opposition party and the G-7 alliance which supports the presidential aspirations of the exiled former Governor of Katanga Moïse Katumbi published a statement on 7 November identical to those issued by the Union pour la nation congolaise (UNC) led by Vital Kamerhe and the Mouvement de libération du Congo (MLC) of Jean-Pierre Bemba...

'National consultations' launched in 2013 resulted in Kabila peeling off a part of Jean-Pierre Bemba's Mouvement de liberation du Congo led by Thomas Luhaka (who has served as a minister ever since) and Léon Kengo wa Dondo the President of the Senate...

La Dynamique is a separate coalition of opposition parties of which Vital Kamerhe's Union pour la nation congolaise (UNC) and Jean-Pierre Bemba's Mouvement de libération du Congo (MLC) are the biggest...

Other important parties such as Vital Kamerhe's Union pour la nation congolaise and the Mouvement de libération du Congo of Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo whose trial at the International Criminal Court opens in September as well as many grass-root UDPS members oppose any coalition with Kabila that extends his tenure...

Coopting and confrontingThe opposition Mouvement de libération du Congo whose leader Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo awaits the verdict in his trial for war crimes before the International Criminal Court is also in crisis...

Thomas Luhaka long-time Secretary General of the Mouvement pour la libération du Congo (MLC led by Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo who is on trial for war crimes at the International Criminal Court at the Hague) spoke for many Congolese when he said that Kabila and Malu Malu were playing for time hoping to organise a new census which would postpone the presidential poll until after November 2016...

They included the former Governor of Equateur José Makila Sumanda who chairs the Alliance des travaillistes congolais pour le développement (ATD) but was formerly with the Mouvement de libération du Congo led by Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo; Martin Fayulu from Engagement citoyen pour le développement (Ecide); and Jean-Bertrand Ewanga Isewanga Iwoka Secretary General of Vital Kamerhe's Union pour la nation congolaise (UNC)...

They include the UPDS; the Mouvement de libération du Congo (MLC) whose leader Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo is on trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court; and the Union pour la nation congolaise (UNC) led by former National Assembly President Vital Kamerhe...

Bozizé had helped to eliminate his arch rival Jean-Pierre Bemba Gombo now on trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands...

Some observers worry that Jean-Pierre Bemba – on trial at the ICC for atrocities committed by his troops in CAR – may rely on a similar defence...