In the late morning of January 16, 2001, Laurent Desire Kabila, the then president of the Democratic Republic of Congo is murdered in his presidential office by a soldier-kid who had become his bodyguard.

A few minutes later, Kabila's assassin is shot to death as he attempts to escape. Later, on his dead body a letter is allegedly found signed by the military attache of the US embassy: "Should there be a problem, call this number".

Many other trails weave a thick curtain of mystery around the murder of Kabila, who had seized power in 1997 with the support of his army of child soldiers, putting an end to Mobutu Sese Seko’s dictatorial reign of several decades.

Like many political developments in this resource-rich central African former colony, the real truth behind events remains shrouded in doubt.

Over 50 alleged conspirators remain jailed in Kinshasa's Makala Prison, but even Kabila's own ministers do not believe they are guilty.

So who killed Laurent Kabila, and why?