This is a list of the head of states responsible for the territory of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

International Association of the Congo Prior to the creation of the Congo Free State, the International Association of the Congo (IAC) had signed treaties with over 300 native Congolese chiefs and in effect exercised sovereignty over a large area of the Congo Basin. The IAC was headquartered in Belgium and run by a committee under the presidency of Maximilien Strauch. Prior to the creation of the office of Administrator-General, authority on the ground in the Congo had been exercised by a Chief of Expedition, who until April 1884 was Henry Morton Stanley.

PortraitNamePositionTerm of officeNotes Took office Left office Time in office Francis de Winton Administrator-General 22 April 1884 1 July 1885

Congo Free State Monarch (Sovereign of the Congo Free State)

#NamePortraitReign startedReign ended — Erasme Louis Surlet de ChokierRegent 25 February 1831 20 July 1831() 1 Leopold I 21 July 1831 10 December 1865() 2 Leopold II 17 December 1865 17 December 1909() 3 Albert I 23 December 1909 17 February 1934() 4 Leopold III 23 February 1934 16 July 1951(abdicated)() CharlesPrince Regent for Leopold III 20 September 1944 20 July 1950() 5 Baudouin 17 July 1951 1 July 1960()

Administrators-General / Governors-General For the list of the active colonial administrators that administered the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908, see the List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo for further information.

Belgian Congo PortraitNamePositionTerm of officeNotes Took office Left office Time in office Théophile WahisGovernor-General 15 November 1908 20 May 1912 Félix Fuchs 20 May 1912 5 January 1916 Eugène Henry 5 January 1916 30 January 1921 Maurice Lippens 30 January 1921 24 January 1923 Martin Rutten 24 January 1923 27 December 1927 Auguste Tilkens 27 December 1927 14 September 1934 Pierre Ryckmans 14 September 1934 31 December 1946 Eugène Jungers 31 December 1946 1 January 1952 Léo Pétillon 1 January 1952 12 July 1958 Hendrik Cornelis 12 July 1958 30 June 1960

On 1 July 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo (République du Congo).

This article lists the heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire) since the country's independence in 1960.

The current head of state is President Félix Tshisekedi, since 24 January 2019.

Heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960–present)

(Dates in italics indicate de facto continuation of office)

Republic of the Congo (1960–1964)№ Name Birth–Death Took office Left office Political Party Presidents 1 Joseph Kasa-Vubu 1910–1969 1 July 1960 1 August 1961 ABAKO 2 Antoine Gizenga 1925–20191 August 1961 5 August 1961 Parti Solidaire Africain3 Joseph Kasa Vubu1910–19695 August 19611 August 1964IndependentDemocratic Republic of the Congo (1964–1971) Presidents Joseph Kasa-Vubu 1910–1969 1 August 1964 24 November 1965 ABAKO 4 Joseph-Désiré Mobutu 1930–1997 24 November 1965 27 October 1971 Military / Popular Movement of the RevolutionRepublic of Zaire (1971–1997) President Mobutu Sese Seko 1930–1997 27 October 1971 16 May 1997 Popular Movement of the RevolutionDemocratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present) Presidents 5 Laurent-Désiré Kabila 1939–2001 17 May 1997 16 January 2001 Independent 6 Joseph Kabila 1971– 26 January 2001 24 January 2019 Independent / People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy 7 Félix Tshisekedi 1963– 24 January 2019 Incumbent Union for Democracy and Social Progress

President of New Zaire No.NamePortraitTerm of officeParty1Christian Malanga17 May 201719 May 2024United Congolese Party

The Vice-Presidents were

Azarias Ruberwa (RCD): Policy, Defense and Security Commission. He represents one of the 2 major former rebel groups. Arthur Z'ahidi Ngoma: Representing civil society Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi (PPRD): Reconstruction and Development Commission. He represents the pre-peace agreement government. Jean-Pierre Bemba (MLC): Economic and Financial Commission. He represents one of the 2 major former rebel groups.

Under the 2006 constitution, which was promulgated in February 2006, the position of Vice-President becomes obsolete, after the inauguration of the first President of the DRC, elected democratically by direct universal suffrage. This inauguration occurred on December 6, 2006. Since then, the President of the Senate is designated to step in as interim president.

president of the Senate The president of the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the presiding officer in the Senate of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Below is a list of office-holders:

NameEntered officeLeft officeReference(s)Joseph IléoJune 1960September 1960Victor KoumoricoJuly 1961November 1962Isaac KalonjiNovember 1962October 1965Sylvestre MudingayiOctober 196524 June 1967Senate abolished24 June 19677 April 2002Pierre Marini Bodho7 April 200211 May 2007Léon Kengo Wa Dondo11 May 20075 April 2019Léon Mamboleo5 April 201927 July 2019ActingAlexis Thambwe Mwamba27 July 20195 February 2021Léon Mamboleo5 February 20211 March 2021ActingModeste Bahati Lukwebo2 March 202119 February 2024Mossaï Sanguma20 February 202413 May 2024ActingPascal Kinduelo Lumbu14 May 202411 Aug 2024ActingJean-Michel Sama Lukonde Kyenge12 Aug 2024Incumbent

List of officeholders Political parties

Other affiliations

Portrait Name Term of office Political party Elected Government President(s) Took office Left office Time in office Republic of the Congo / Democratic Republic of the Congo (1960–1965) 1 Patrice Lumumba 24 June 1960 5 September 1960 MNC 1960 Lumumba Joseph Kasa-Vubu 2 Joseph Iléo 5 September 1960 20 September 1960 MNC — 3 Albert Ndele 20 September 1960 3 October 1960 Independent — College of Commissioners-General 4 Justin Bomboko 3 October 1960 9 February 1961 UNIMO — College of Commissioners-General – Antoine Gizenga 13 December 1960 5 August 1961 PSA — Free Republic of the Congo (2) Joseph Iléo 9 February 1961 2 August 1961 MNC — 5 Cyrille Adoula 2 August 1961 30 June 1964 MNC — 6 Moïse Tshombe 10 July 1964 13 October 1965 CONACO — Tshombe 7 Évariste Kimba 13 October 1965 25 November 1965 CONAKAT 1965 Democratic Republic of the Congo / Republic of Zaire (1965–1997) 8 Léonard Mulamba 25 November 1965 26 October 1966 Military — Mobutu Sese Seko Post abolished (26 October 1966 – 6 July 1977) 9 Mpinga Kasenda 6 July 1977 6 March 1979 MPR 1977 Kasenda 10 Bo-Boliko Lokonga 6 March 1979 27 August 1980 MPR — Lokonga 11 Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond 27 August 1980 18 April 1981 MPR — Karl-i-Bond I 12 N'Singa Udjuu 23 April 1981 5 November 1982 MPR 1982 Udjuu 13 Léon Kengo wa Dondo 5 November 1982 31 October 1986 MPR — Dondo I Post vacant (31 October 1986 – 22 January 1987) 14 Mabi Mulumba 22 January 1987 7 March 1988 MPR 1987 Mulumba 15 Sambwa Pida Nbagui 7 March 1988 26 November 1988 MPR — Nbagui (13) Léon Kengo wa Dondo 26 November 1988 4 May 1990 MPR — Dondo II 16 Lunda Bululu 4 May 1990 1 April 1991 MPR — 17 Mulumba Lukoji 1 April 1991 29 September 1991 MPR — Lukoji 18 Étienne Tshisekedi 29 September 1991 1 November 1991 UDPS — Tshisekedi I 19 Bernardin Mungul Diaka 1 November 1991 25 November 1991 RDR — Diaka (11) Jean Nguza Karl-i-Bond 25 November 1991 15 August 1992 UFIR — (18) Étienne Tshisekedi 15 August 1992 18 March 1993 UDPS — Tshisekedi II 20 Faustin Birindwa 18 March 1993 14 January 1994 UDPS — Birindwa (13) Léon Kengo wa Dondo 6 July 1994 2 April 1997 UID — (18) Étienne Tshisekedi 2 April 1997 9 April 1997 UDPS — Tshisekedi III 21 Likulia Bolongo 9 April 1997 16 May 1997 Military — Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present) Post abolished (16 May 1997 – 30 December 2006) 22 Antoine Gizenga 30 December 2006 10 October 2008 PALU 2006 Gizenga I Joseph Kabila — 23 Adolphe Muzito 10 October 2008 6 March 2012 PALU — — 2011 — Louis Alphonse Koyagialo 6 March 2012 18 April 2012 PALU — 24 Matata Ponyo Mapon 18 April 2012 17 November 2016 PPRD — Matata I — Matata II 25 Samy Badibanga 17 November 2016 18 May 2017 UDPS — 26 Bruno Tshibala 18 May 2017 7 September 2019 UDPS — 2018 Félix Tshisekedi 27 Sylvestre Ilunga 7 September 2019 27 April 2021 PPRD — Ilunga 28 Sama Lukonde 27 April 2021 12 June 2024 ACO — Lukonde 29 Judith Suminwa 12 June 2024 Incumbent UDPS 2023 Suminwa

List of officeholders Portrait Name Election Term of office Political party President(s) Took office Left office Time in office26Vital Kamerhe1955– 7 April 201920 May 2019Independent

Congo In 1960 the State of Katanga declared independence from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. United Nations troops crushed it in Operation Grand Slam.

Notes

See also List of prime ministers of Belgium List of Belgian monarchs Democratic Republic of the Congo Politics of the Democratic Republic of the Congo List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo List of heads of government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo Zaire Lists of Incumbents

References

Sources