The funeral of former President of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Laurent Desire Kabila ( Photo Courtesy)

On January 16, 2001, Laurent Desire Kabila, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo,was shot dead by his own bodyguard, Rashidi Kasereka.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain clouded. In the DRC, the authorities now consider his death a closed case while Kabila himself is now considered a martyr. But how did the former President meet his death? And who was behind it?

On May 17, 2001, Kabila was sworn in as DRC's third President after Nelson Mandela had steered the long standing dictator Mobutu Sese Seko into retirement. But the arrival of this former Marxist revolutionary was not greeted in favourable terms by the international community. But Kabila imposed himself nonetheless.

An undated photo of Laurent Kabila inspecting a guard of honour ( Photo Courtesy)

But soon after taking over power, Kabila fell out with his child soldiers who had walked witb him the long journey to overthrow Mobutu.

The tiny eastern neighbor, Rwanda, where the child soldiers were trained, fell out with Kabila. The young soldiers with the backing of Rwanda would later start a war which would outlast Kabila himself.

One fine evening, while in his office with his economic advisor, Emile Mota, Kabila was assassinated by his own bodyguard, Rashidi.