Charles Richard Mondjo

Charles Richard Mondjo (born 28 January 1954) is a Congolese military officer who has served in the government of Congo-Brazzaville as Minister of Defense since 2012. Previously, he was Chief of Staff of the Congolese Armed Forces from 2002 to 2012.[1]

Mondjo (left) with U.S. Rear Admiral Shawn Duane and Ambassador Todd Haskell in 2017

Military career

An ethnic Mbochi[2] and the son of diplomat Nicolas Mondjo,[1][2] Charles Richard Mondjo was born at Brazzaville in 1954, attending school in Cuvette Department[1][2] and Brazzaville.[1] Subsequently, he attended military preparatory school.[1][2] He received training at a military school in East Germany from 1976 to 1978 and at a military school in the Soviet Union from 1982 to 1986.[3]

Back in Congo-Brazzaville, Mondjo served as an army officer,[1][2] and he was Director of Lessons and Studies at the Marien Ngouabi Military Academy in Brazzaville from 1987 to 1993.[3] He sided with rebel leader Denis Sassou Nguesso during the June–October 1997 civil war; the war ended with Sassou Nguesso regaining power and ousting President Pascal Lissouba.[2] In December 1997, Mondjo was appointed as Commander of Military Zone 1, which included the country's economic capital, Pointe-Noire; he remained in that post for five years.[1][2] He was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Congolese Armed Forces on 20 December 2002,[1] and he was promoted to the rank of major-general (général de division).[2]

After serving nearly ten years as Chief of Staff, Mondjo was appointed to the government as Minister at the Presidency for National Defense on 25 September 2012.[1][4] He was officially succeeded as Chief of Staff by Major-General Guy Blanchard Okoï at a ceremony on 7 November 2012.[5]

Mondjo met with French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Brazzaville on 11 February 2014 for a discussion about instability in the Central African Republic.[6]

After Sassou Nguesso's victory in the March 2016 presidential election, he retained Mondjo in his post as Minister of National Defense on 30 April 2016.[7]

References
  1. Bruno Okokana, "Gouvernement : deux chefs militaires de haut rang nommés ministres", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 26 September 2012 (in French).
  2. John F. Clark and Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo, fourth edition (2012), Scarecrow Press, pages 289–290.
  3. "Biographie du nouveau chef d’Etat-major général des Forces armées congolaises", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 21 January 2003 (in French).
  4. "Remaniement ministériel au Congo-Brazzaville", Radio France Internationale, 26 September 2013 (in French).
  5. "Défense : le général de division Charles Richard Mondjo quitte l'état-major général des FAC", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 8 November 2012 (in French).
  6. Aybienevie N'kouka-Koudissa, "Congo-France : Visite de travail du ministre français de la défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, au Congo", La Semaine Africaine, 14 February 2014 (in French).
  7. "Équipe gouvernementale de la Nouvelle République" Archived 2016-06-02 at the Wayback Machine, ADIAC, 1 May 2016 (in French).
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