Célestin Mbala

Army General Célestin Mbala Munsense is a Congolese military officer who has served as the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) since 14 July 2018.[1] He is considered a loyalist of President Joseph Kabila and held a number of high ranking posts in the presidential and military administration prior to his appointment, replacing Army General Didier Etumba as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces.[2][3] Before that, he was a long time Chief of Staff to the President's office, since at least 2010, as a brigadier general.[4] In September 2014, during Kabila's restructuring of the army, Mbala was a major general and was appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration and Logistics.[5]

Célestin Mbala Munsense
General Mbala Munsense in 2016
Allegiance Democratic Republic of the Congo
Service/branch Land Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Years of service1975–present
Rank General
Commands heldChief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration and Logistics
Presidential Chief of Staff

As of 2009, he was a military advisor to the President and was also the FARDC director of personnel. Mbala joined the military around 1975 and had been an advisor to President Kabila since around 2007. He told foreign diplomats in Kinshasa in 2009 that the FARDC was in a state of anarchy since the Second Congo War due to the integration of undisciplined and untrained former rebels, and as director of personnel he was taking efforts to try to improve its situation.

After the election of Félix Tshisekedi to the Presidency of the DRC, in May 2019 he confirmed Mbala as FARDC chief of general staff. President Tshisekedi also promoted him to the rank of Army General.[6][7][8]

In October 2022, President Félix Tshisekedi appointed Lieutenant-General Christian Tshiwewe Songesha as head of the army. He replaces Célestin Mbala at the head of the army. Célestin Mbala is listed among the officers awaiting retirement.[9]

References
  1. "Fardc: Joseph Kabila names Lieutenant-General Celestin Mbala Munsense General Staff". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  2. RDC : Qui Est Célestin Mbala Munsense, Le Nouveau Chef D’état-major Des FARDC? (in French). Congoactu.net, 16 July 2018.
  3. Plusieurs nominations dans l'armée en RDC (in French). BBC Africa, 16 July 2018.
  4. Le Conseil Supérieur de la Défense satisfait de lasituation sécuritaire Le Phare, 21 December 2010.
  5. Général Etumba reconduit chef d’Etat major général Archived 5 March 2018 at the Wayback Machine. MediaCongo.net. Published 20 September 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2018.
  6. RDC: TSHISEKEDI PROMEUT SON ONCLE ET CONFIRME LE CHEF D'ÉTAT-MAJOR (in French). Africa Radio, 22 May 2019
  7. RDC : Félix Tshisekedi nomme ses chefs de la maison civile et de la maison militaire et reconduit le chef d’Etat-major des FARDC (in French). Radio Okapi, 21 May 2019
  8. Le général Célestin Mbala reconduit Chef d’État-major des FARDC (in French). Digitalcongo.net, 22 May 2019
  9. Afrique RDC: le général Christian Tshiwewe Songesha devient le nouveau chef de l'armée. RFI, 04 October 2022
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