Appointed to fight sexual violence and recruitment of child soldiers in the DRC, Jeanine Mabunda Lioko accepts position with humility

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, July 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- President Joseph Kabila furthered his commitment to eradicating the systemic problem of sexual violence and the recruitment of children into armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by nominating Jeanine Mabunda Lioko as his special representative.

Sexual violence and the recruitment of children into armed groups have plagued the DRC, particularly the war-torn east, for the past decade. Despite national and international interventions, both problems remain widespread.

"There are numerous reasons why sexual violence and the recruitment of children into armed groups persist in the DRC, and there are numerous solutions to address these destructive assaults on our society," said Ms. Mabunda. "I accepted President Kabila's appointment with humility, but will work tenaciously to stop sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers in the DRC. Working with Congolese, the international community and others, we will comprehensively address both of these enormous challenges at all levels."

A native of Equator Province, Ms. Mabunda holds degrees in Commercial Law and Commercial Sciences, which she respectively earned at Leuven Catholic University and ICHEC Brussels Management School in Belgium. In 1998, after working for Citigroup, she became an advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank of DRC. From 2002 -- 2007, she was CEO of the DRC Industrial Promotion Fund (FPI). From February 2007 – March 2012, she served as the DRC Minister of Portfolio. In November 2012, she was elected to the DRC National Assembly. Ms. Mabunda is also a member of Randgold Resources Limited's Board of Directors.