Joseph Kabila Kabange (born 1971) became president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo after the assassination of his father Laurent-Désiré Kabila in January 2001. He has attempted to end the civil war and remove foreign troops from the country, with some success. Following a peace agreement, an interim administration was set up in 2003, including the leaders of the country's two main rebel groups as vice-presidents (two other vice-presidents are representatives of the civilian opposition and government supporters respectively). Proposals have been made to hold elections before the end of 2005.

On March 28, 2004, a coup attempt or mutiny around the capital Kinshasa, allegedly organized by supporters of the late president Mobutu Sese Seko, failed. On June 11, 2004, coup plotters led by Major Eric Lenge attempted to take power, declaring that the country's peace process was not working, but were defeated by loyalist troops.