KINSHASA, Congo — Congo’s former insurgent chief jailed by the Worldwide Felony Courtroom, Jean-Pierre Bemba, has been appointed Congo’s Protection Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in a Cupboard reshuffle.

Bemba’s appointment to the important thing positions was introduced Thursday night on state tv by President Felix Tshisekedi’s spokeswoman. Bemba’s promotion and different Cupboard appointments come lower than a 12 months forward of Congo’s presidential elections.

Congo’s former vice chairman between 2003 and 2006, Bemba was later imprisoned by the ICC for greater than a decade, accused of murders, rapes and pillaging dedicated by his Motion for the Liberation of Congo forces within the neighboring nation of Central African Republic. In a shocking ruling, he was acquitted by the ICC in 2018. Bemba has all the time maintained his innocence.

Bemba’s return to outstanding authorities positions comes 9 months forward of Congo’s presidential elections scheduled for December. Bemba’s political comeback was possible determined to assist Tshisekedi win votes in Congo’s war-torn northeast, the place Bemba’s insurgent group was in style within the Nineties and 2000s, say analysts.

“That is clearly a pre-election reshuffle and Jean-Pierre Bemba has been appointed to convey his supporters in line to rally behind the president forward of the race,” mentioned Benjamin Hunter, Africa analyst for Verisk Maplecroft, a threat evaluation agency.

“Regardless of Bemba’s earlier imprisonment by the ICC, he’s a political heavyweight with the patronage networks and get in touch with e book to assist Tshisekedi’s election marketing campaign,” he mentioned.

Battle in jap Congo has been simmering for many years with greater than 120 armed teams combating for energy, land, sources and a few to defend their communities. Tshisekedi got here to workplace in 2019 promising to stem Congo’s instability and violence, but it surely’s solely elevated.

Different new authorities postings within the Cupboard reshuffle embody Tshisekedi’s former chief of workers, Important Kamerhe, who was named the minister of the financial system. Kamerhe was sentenced to twenty years in jail however acquitted final 12 months. Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi, a former warlord in Ituri province was appointed minister of state for nationwide integration.