A Giant of the Opposition
Tshisekedi led a distinguished and dignified career.
He was the first law graduate of a free Congo in 1961 and was
for a long time, a loyalist of President Mobutu Sese Seko
(1965-1997), holding the roles of Minster of Interior and
Minister of Justice for example. However, in 1980, their
relationship broke down under the weight of government
crackdowns.
Tshisekedi formed the opposition Union pour la
démocratie et le progrès social (UDPS) in 1982 and
briefly entered a power-sharing agreement as Mobutu's Prime
Minister in 1992.
Following Mobutu's fall in 1997, he continued his campaign
for democracy by challenging the new president, Laurent Kabila.
Kabila (Snr) exiled him to his home province of Kasai from where he
continued to denounce the government, especially as Laurent
Kabila's son, Joseph took over as president following the
former's assassination. Having decided to boycott the 2006
presidential elections, Tshisekedi finally ran
