Contents

Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

This is a list of Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zaire.

The available information on the following officers is incomplete and sometimes contradictory. In addition to armed forces chiefs of staff, in 1966 Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Malila was listed as Army Chief of Staff.^[1]

Republic of the Congo (1960–71)[edit]

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Ref.
1		Lundula, VictorMajor General Victor Lundula	November 1960	1961	0–1 years	Land Forces	.
2		Mobutu, Joseph-DésiréLieutenant General Joseph-Désiré Mobutu (1930–1997) [a]	1961	October 1964	2–3 years	Land Forces	[3]
3		Mulamba, LéonardMajor General Léonard Mulamba (1928–1986) [b]	October 1964	25 November 1965	1 year, 1 month	Land Forces	.
4		Bobozo, LouisGeneral Louis Bobozo (1915–1982) [c]	25 November 1965	25 July 1972	6 years, 243 days	Land Forces	[6][7]

Republic of Zaire (1971–97)[edit]

Following Mobutu Sese Seko's take over of Republic of the Congo, the country was renamed the Republic of Zaire.

No.	Portrait	Chief of the General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Ref.
1		Moaso, BumbaBrigadier General Bumba Moaso [d]	25 July 1972	1977	4–5 years	Land Forces	.
2		Malobia, Babia ZangiGénéral de corps d'armée Babia Zangi Malobia [e]	September 1978	1981	2–3 years	Land Forces	.
3		Boyenge, Mosambaye SingaGénéral d'armée Mosambaye Singa Boyenge (1932–2001)	1981	1985	3–4 years	Land Forces	[9]
4		Aundu, Eluki MongaGénéral de Division Eluki Monga Aundu (1941–2022)	1985	October 1987	1–2 years	Land Forces	[9]
5		Wa Botembe, LompondaAdmiral Lomponda Wa Botembe [fr] (born 1936)	October 1987	1989	1–2 years	Navy	.
6		ba Embanga, MazembeGénéral d'Armée Mazembe ba Embanga	1989	1991	1–2 years	Land Forces	.
7		Bokungu, Donatien Mahele LiekoGénéral Donatien Mahele Lieko Bokungu (1941–1997)	1991	February 1993	1–2 years	Land Forces	[10]
(4)		Aundu, Eluki MongaGénéral Eluki Monga Aundu (1941–2022)	February 1993	20 November 1996	3 years, 9 months	Land Forces	.
(7)		Bokungu, Donatien Mahele LiekoGénéral Donatien Mahele Lieko Bokungu (1941–1997)	20 November 1996	16 May 1997 †	177 days	Land Forces	.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (1997–present)[edit]

No.	Portrait	Chief of Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Defence branch	Ref.
1		Kabarebe, JamesGeneral James Kabarebe (born 1959)	17 May 1997	16 July 1998	1 year, 60 days	Land Forces	[11]
2		Kifwa, CélestinCélestin Kifwa	16 July 1998	15 August 1998	30 days	Land Forces	[11]
3		Kabila, JosephMajor General Joseph Kabila (born 1971) [f]	15 August 1998	1999	0–1 years	Land Forces	[13]
4		Lwetcha, SylvestreGeneral Sylvestre Lwetcha (born ?) [g]	1999	19 August 2003	4 years, 1 month	Land Forces	.
5		Liwanga, BaudouinAdmiral Baudoin Liwanga Mata (born 1950)	19 August 2003	21 June 2004	307 days	Navy	.
6		Sungilanga, KisempiaLieutenant General Kisempia Sungilanga (born ?)	21 June 2004	12 June 2007	2 years, 356 days	Land Forces	[15][16]
7		Kayembe, DieudonnéLieutenant General Dieudonné Kayembe (born 1945)	12 June 2007	17 November 2008	1 year, 158 days	Land Forces	.
8		Etumba, DidierArmy General Didier Etumba (born 1955)	17 November 2008	14 July 2018	9 years, 239 days	Land Forces	[17]
9		Mbala, CélestinLieutenant General Célestin Mbala (born ?)	14 July 2018	4 October 2022	4 years, 82 days	Land Forces	[18]
10		Tshiwewe, ChristianLieutenant General Christian Tshiwewe Songesha (born ?)	4 October 2022	Incumbent	1 year, 270 days	Land Forces	[19][20]

Notes[edit]

References[edit]