Charles Richard Mondjo
Mondjo in 2019
Born (1954-01-28) January 28, 1954 (age 70)
Brazzaville
OccupationMilitary officer

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]

Military career

An ethnic Mbochi[2] and the son of diplomat Nicolas Mondjo,[1][2] Charles Richard Mondjo was born in Brazzaville on 28 January 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. ^ a b c d e f g h i Bruno Okokana, "Gouvernement : deux chefs militaires de haut rang nommés ministres", Les Dépêches de Brazzaville, 26 September 2012 (in French).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h John F. Clark and Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo, fourth edition (2012), Scarecrow Press, pages 289–290.
  3. ^ a b "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" Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine, 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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