Christian Malanga

Christian Malanga
President of the United Congolese Party
Personal details
Born Christian Malanga Musumari
(1983-01-02) January 2, 1983
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Political party United Congolese Party
Religion Church of Christ (Latter Day Saints)
Website malangachristian.com

Christian Malanga Musumari (commonly known as Christian Malanga, born January 2, 1983) is a Congolese politician, businessmen, and former military officer. He is currently President of the United Congolese Party (UCP), a national political party he formed after his experiences in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s widely disputed parliamentary elections in 2011. In 2013, he was appointed the first ambassador of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable.

Early life and NGO experience

Christian Malanga Musumari was born on January 2, 1983, to Chantal Kibonge Malanga and Joseph Itejo Malanga in the capital city of Kinshasa. Malanga’s father, Joseph Malanga was born and raised in the village of Mangai in the Bandundu Province. His mother Chantal was a local of Kinshasa, where Malanga’s parents met as students. They settled outside of the city, where his mother worked at a local market and his father worked as a mechanic in Kinshasa proper.[1]

In 1998 Malanga moved to Salt Lake City, Utah as a political refugee with asylum status. There he owned several small businesses until 2006, when he began work as a planner for the Africa Helpline Society.[2] His duties included working directly with children at the on-site orphanage and with the organization's global outreach initiatives. Malanga used his experiences to simultaneously form his own non-governmental organization, Friends of America, during this time period.

Military Service

Malanga in Congolese Military Uniform.
Malanga in officer fatigues, 2007.

In June, 2006, Malanga returned to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to participate in military service, and in 2007 he achieved the rank of Captain in the Congolese Military. His principle duties during service included brigade morale officer and command of a training company with responsibility for approximately 235 men under his command.[3]

Malanga Congo

Malanga with Employees in the DRC.
Malanga with employees of Malanga Congo.

After his tour of military duty ended in 2010 Malanga started his own company, Malanga Congo, which hired 250 employees in several sectors to perform public works and contracting projects. These projects included creating and maintaining water purification and bottling plants and several domestic mining operations. These businesses would prove profitable enough to provide the platform from which he launched his political career that same year.[4]

2011 Parliamentary Elections

In 2011 Malanga attended a general assembly meeting of all political opposition leaders to select a candidate to challenge the current President Joseph Kabila. When the general assembly proved to be indecisive, Malanga decided to run in the parliamentary election as an independent opposition candidate.[5][6] He was detained two days before the parliamentary elections by government security forces and held for more than two weeks. Upon his release he was offered a position as National Youth President under the current government. Malanga declined the position and moved to form his own political party.[7]

Creation of the United Congolese Party

Malanga returned to the United States in 2012 to assemble and expand his political party, the United Congolese Party (UCP). He is currently campaigning amid the Congolese diaspora in the United States, Europe and South Africa and building the leadership and membership of the UCP in preparation for the next round of national elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[8]

Ambassador to the International Religious Freedom Roundtable

Malanga speaking at an IRF event in December, 2013

On December 12, 2013, Malanga was appointed the first ever ambassador of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable, a collection of 52 NGOs and leaders in Washington DC, at a ceremony in the US Capitol Building. Malanga has been tasked by the organization to raise awareness of religious intolerance throughout Sub-Saharan Africa.[9]

Ambassador-at-Large Kanda Bongo Man

Malanga poses with Kanda Bongo Man and his wife at a ceremony appointing him UCP Ambassador.

On April 7th, 2014, Malanga appointed renowned Congolese Soukous musician Kanda Bongo Man as the United Congolese Party's first Ambassador-at-Large in a ceremony in Washington DC. Kanda's chief duty as UCP Ambassador-at-Large is to cultivate good will and friendship with other progressive African leaders.[10]


References

  1. ↑ http://malangachristian.com/bio/christian-malanga/ UCP Bio of Malanga.
  2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeebWPuAMXA Africa Helpline Society Mission.
  3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4VdNvvpuUs Malanga on Military Service.
  4. ↑ http://malangachristian.com/bio/christian-malanga/ UCP Bio of Malanga.
  5. ↑ http://www.congoplanete.com/news/3156/etienne-tshisekedi-jean-pierre-bemba-vital-kamerhe-joseph-olenghankoy-kengo-wa-dondo-elections.jsp Congo Planet news article on 2011 parliamentary candidates.
  6. ↑ http://www.ceni.gouv.cd/partipolitique.aspx?id_parti=395 National Independent Electoral Committee 2011 Independent candidate list. Malanga is candidate 133 in the district of Idiofa.
  7. ↑ http://www.inyenyerinews.org/politiki/a-beautiful-country-with-poor-leadership/ Inyenyeri News article on Malanga and the UCP.
  8. ↑ http://malangachristian.com/learn/national-leadership/ UCP official site.
  9. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-01-26. IRF Roundtable Co-Chair site.
  10. ↑ http://www.modernghana.com/news/539295/67/united-congolese-party-makes-crucial-appointment-i.html


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