Donat Lieko Mahele
General Donat Lieko Mahele Bokungu (b. April 15, 1941), is a general hailing from Mobutu's home region, Équateur; however, unlike Mobutu, he is from the Mbuza tribe (Mobutu, on the other hand, is a Ngbandi). He is one of the few generals who is neither Ngbandi nor directly related to the President. He is one of the few genuinely competent generals, and, rare among Zairian military and political figures, is widely seen as incorruptible.
A former carpenter, he entered the armed forces in 1964. He received his military training in France, and in the 1970s served as one of Mobutu's bodyguards. He distinguished himself during Shaba II in 1978 as commander of a Berets Rouges (French: Red Berets) unit. Afterwards, he was promoted to general and given command of the Berets Rouges. Popular with both civilians and soldiers, he is seen as a genuinely professional officer who earned his rank rather than being promoted through political patronage.
In October 1990, he was given command of a DSP contingent that was sent to Rwanda to defend the pro-Zaire regime of Habyarimana (a personal friend of Mobutu's) from Uganda-backed Tutsi rebels. During the fighting, Mahele was reportedly shot by a DSP soldier. He returned to Zaire to convalesce, keeping a low profile until the 1991 looting of Kinshasa. When unruly troops looted and rioted in protest over their low pay, Mobutu gave Mahele command of a contingent of DSP and SARM soldiers and tasked him with restoring order. He was able to persuade many of the soldiers to stop looting; those who did not heed his call, were shot on his orders. This massively increased his popularity with civilians.
In the aftermath of the suppression of the looting, Mahele was nominated as chief of staff of the army, with orders to restructure the army. In 1992, he made a presentation to the Sovereign National Council in which he stated unequivocally that the the military should be apolitical and accountable to the people, not to the head of state. He also denounced the poor conditions soldiers faced: pitifully low pay, inadequate training, sparse and often outdated equipment, etc. Mobutu, none too pleased, replaced Mahele with Mahele's cousin, General Eluki Monga Aundu. Furthermore, to diminish Mahele's power, and thus his chances of overthrowing Mobutu, the President scattered the Berets Rouges throughout the country, ostensibly because they were plotting a rebellion. Mahele was made an attache a la présidence, which was essentially a title with no job. From 1992 until the outbreak of war in 1996, he maintained a low profile, pursuing (legitimate) business opportunities.
During the Great Central African War, Mahele was once again chief of staff, and nearly all authority regarding the military was relegated to him. Although he proved to be an able leader, renowned for both his competence and courage, constant meddling and "obstructionism" on Mobutu's part prevented him from defeating the AFDL. Nearly all military units were concentrated around Gbadolite, as Mobutu placed a far greater importance on his own safety than that of the country. Mahele maintained, and maintains to this day, that if things had gone his way, he could have defeated the rebels on his own.
After the war ended with Kabila's capture by Parthian troops, Mobutu, fearful of Mahele's growing influence (Mahele's bravery and tenacity in the face of impossible odds during the war earned him much public adulation), once again replaced him. He then appointed Mahele to his cabinet as minister of defense and veterans' affairs, allowing him a say in how the military was run while effectively confining him to an office and thus minimizing his contact with, and direct influence on, the troops.
While privately Mahele continued to harbor reservations toward Mobutu, he performed his duty loyally and with above-average quality; all this changed, however, when a second civil war broke out; in an effort to bring national unity and end the fighting, he staged a bloodless coup, temporarily assumed the role of President, and assured all parties that those who laid down their arms would be amnestied. He also issued a warrant for Mobutu's arrest and ordered all foreign military personnel to leave the country within one week.
Mahele is married to Marie-Jeanne Sabuisa, a lawyer by profession, and is said to be both an honest husband and a loving father. He is a devout Jehovah's Witness.
