Democratic Republic of Congo's new leader Mr Joseph Kabila will be officially sworn in as president after his father's funeral due on Tuesday, Justice Minister, Mr Mwenze Kongolo, said today.
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"He's the president of the republic," said Mr Mwenze, in the first government news conference since President Laurent Kabila was shot last Tuesday.
He added for now the government's priority was to hold the funeral for President Kabila.
Mr Kabila was shot by a bodyguard last Tuesday at his palace in Kinshasa. A day later, the government designated his son, 31-year-old Major-General Joseph Kabila, as acting president. President Kabila was officially declared dead on Thursday.
"We thought we should pick somebody we all could trust and the name of Mr Joseph Kabila came up," said Mr Mwenze, who dismissed a common criticism on the streets of Kinshasa that their choice was tantamount to making Congo a monarchy.
"We are a responsible government and had to take some steps to secure the people and protect their property. What is the price of receiving the criticisms of the people compared to what would have happened if we did not?" he asked.
Mr Mwenze also said the widespread belief that Joseph's mother was from Rwanda was untrue. He said she was from eastern Congo's Bangu-Bangu tribe.
Congo has been at war with rebels backed by Rwanda and Uganda since 1998, when President Kabila fell out with the countries who supported him in the eight-month bush war that brought him to power in 1997.
Reuters