Félix Tshisekedi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Félix Tshisekedi
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Tshisekedi in 2021
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| 5th President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
| Assumed office 24 January 2019 |
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| Prime Minister | Bruno Tshibala Sylvestre Ilunga Sama Lukonde Kyenge Judith Suminwa |
| Preceded by | Joseph Kabila |
| Leader of the Union for Democracy and Social Progress | |
| Assumed office 31 March 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Étienne Tshisekedi |
| Chairperson of the African Union | |
| In office 6 February 2021 – 5 February 2022 |
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| Preceded by | Cyril Ramaphosa |
| Succeeded by | Macky Sall |
| Chairman of Southern African Development Community | |
| In office 17 August 2022 – 17 August 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Filipe Nyusi |
| Succeeded by | João Lourenço |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 13 June 1963 Léopoldville, Congo-Léopoldville |
| Political party | Union for Democracy and Social Progress |
| Spouse | Denise Nyakéru Tshisekedi |
| Parent |
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| Website | https://presidence.cd |
Félix Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo was born on June 13, 1963. He is a politician from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since 2019, he has been the fifth president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
He used to lead the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS). This is the oldest and largest political party in the DRC. He took over this role from his father, Étienne Tshisekedi, who was a well-known opposition leader.
Félix Tshisekedi was the UDPS candidate for president in the December 2018 election. He was declared the winner, even though some groups said there were problems with the election. The highest court in the DRC confirmed his win. This election was very important because it was the first time power was passed peacefully from one president to another in the DRC since it became independent in 1960.
In May 2024, there was an attempt to overthrow President Tshisekedi, but it was stopped.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Félix Tshisekedi was born in Kinshasa, the capital city, on June 13, 1963. His parents were Marthe and Étienne Tshisekedi. His father later became the Prime Minister of Zaire (which is now the DRC) in the 1990s.
When Félix was young, his family lived comfortably. But when his father started the UDPS party and spoke out against the government, Félix and his father were put under house arrest in their home village. This meant Félix had to stop his studies for a while. In 1985, he was allowed to leave the village with his mother and brothers.
Political Journey
Starting in Politics
In 2008, Tshisekedi became the UDPS National Secretary for international relations. In 2011, he won a seat in the country's main law-making body, the National Assembly. However, he did not take his seat because he believed the election was unfair.
In 2013, he turned down a job at the country's election commission. He said he wanted to continue his political career, and the rules for the commission did not allow members to be part of a political party. In 2016, he became a vice secretary general of the UDPS.
Becoming President in 2018
On March 31, 2018, Félix Tshisekedi was chosen to lead the UDPS party after his father passed away. On the same day, the party named him as their candidate for the December 2018 presidential election.
On January 10, 2019, it was announced that Tshisekedi had won the election. He beat another opposition leader and the candidate supported by the outgoing president, Joseph Kabila. The runner-up claimed the election was rigged, but the country's highest court confirmed Tshisekedi's victory. He officially became president on January 24, 2019. This was a historic moment, as it was the first time a president in Congo peacefully handed over power to someone from the opposition since 1960.
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Time as President (2019–Present)
After Tshisekedi became president, he faced challenges because the previous president's party still controlled the parliament. This made it hard for him to choose his own Prime Minister at first.
In March 2019, President Tshisekedi signed an order to release about 700 prisoners. Many of these prisoners were political opponents of the previous government. This was part of his promise to allow people who had been forced to leave the country to return.
He also started a program to improve things like roads, schools, housing, and healthcare across the country.
In May 2019, Tshisekedi reached an agreement with the opposing party to appoint Sylvestre Ilunga as Prime Minister. Later, in July 2019, they agreed on forming a new government with 65 members. Most of the important government jobs went to the party that had controlled parliament.
Over time, the political situation changed. In February 2021, Tshisekedi appointed Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde as the new Prime Minister. By April 2021, Tshisekedi had officially ended his power-sharing agreement with the previous president's allies. He formed a new government with people loyal to him.
President Tshisekedi has called for a review of mining deals made with China by the previous government. He also promised to stop and reverse the cutting down of forests in the DRC by 2030.
In October 2022, he said that the DRC would not bring in Russian soldiers to help with a conflict in the eastern part of the country. He also announced plans to make the country's army stronger and more united. This included new military spending and hiring military experts from Romania.
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In May 2023, he visited China to strengthen the partnership between the two countries and discuss mining contracts. The Democratic Republic of Congo has large amounts of important minerals like copper, uranium, and cobalt.
In December 2023, Tshisekedi was re-elected for a second term as president with 73% of the votes.
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On May 19, 2024, there was an attempted coup against him and his ally Vital Kamerhe, but it was quickly stopped.
In October 2024, Tshisekedi left a meeting in Paris because the French president did not mention the conflicts in eastern DRC in his speech.
On January 18, 2025, Tshisekedi stated that his government would not talk with the M23 rebels. He said that doing so would be disrespectful to the victims and against international law.
Because of Rwanda's support for the M23 rebels, the DRC ended its diplomatic ties with Rwanda on January 26, 2025. Tshisekedi asked all citizens to support the country's army against what he called "Rwanda's barbaric aggression."
Honours
Central African Republic:
Grand Cross of the Order of Reconnaissance of Central African (December 2019)
Chad:
Grand Cross of the National Order of Chad (June 2024)
Guinea-Bissau:
Recipient of the Medal of Amílcar Cabral (July 2021)
See also
In Spanish: Félix Tshisekedi para niños
- List of current heads of state and government
- List of heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
