DRC President Laurent Kabila is assassinated

Date: 16 Jan 2001
Updated: 13 Jan 2020

On 16 January 2001, Laurent Kabila President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was killed by gunshot. According to reports Kabila was shot by one of his bodyguards in front of army generals, following a dispute in which he had sacked them. It was later confirmed that the incident was not a coup attempt, but an argument that got out of hand. His son Joseph Kabila took over the reins of power as DRC President. Joseph was very young at the time he became head of state, and many people had no confidence in him.

Kabila became President of Zaire after the death of Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997. He wasted no time in making changes as he also renamed the country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Search events by date

What happened on your birthday?

How we know this

01Knight, J. & Parks, R., ‘Laurent-Désiré Kabila’, from Answers.com, [online], Available at www.answers.com [Accessed: 02 December 2011]
02Talbot C., (2001), ‘The Congo: President Kabila assassinated’, from World Socialist Web Site, 18 January [online], Available at www.wsws.org [Accessed: 02 December 2011]

Last updated · 13 Jan 2020

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, January 13). DRC President Laurent Kabila is assassinated. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072399

South African History Online (2012) 'DRC President Laurent Kabila is assassinated', South African History Online, 13 January. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072399 (Accessed: 20 August 2026).

South African History Online, DRC President Laurent Kabila is assassinated [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072399, (accessed 20 August 2026).

"DRC President Laurent Kabila is assassinated." South African History Online, 13 Jan. 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072399. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

South African History Online. "DRC President Laurent Kabila is assassinated." South African History Online. January 13, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0072399.