Jean Claude Kifwa Explained

Jean Claude Kifwa
Birth Name:Jean Claude Kifwa Kambili
Branch:Land Forces
Rank: Major General
Commands:Republican Guard
9th Military Region
2nd Defense Zone
Battles:

Major General Jean Claude Kifwa Kambili is a Congolese military officer. Most prominently, he served as the commander of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) troops in the Orientale Province and later in the southeastern DRC, including the Kasaï-Oriental, Kasaï-Occidental, and Katanga provinces.

Biography

During the Second Congo War, Kifwa was the head of Laurent-Désiré Kabila's personal guard.[1] He served as the commander of President Joseph Kabila's Republican Guard until 2007.

As of 2008, he was in charge of the 9th military region, Orientale Province. During his time there, the FARDC had to deal with armed groups that were present in the region and neighbouring countries. The FARDC presence along the borders with the Central African Republic and Sudan was minimal, but under Kifwa the Congolese army drove the Lord's Resistance Army out of DR Congo and back into the Central African Republic.[2] [3] Kifwa was also accused of having ties to local Mai Mai militia groups, including those of Paul Sadala.[4]

In September 2014, he was appointed as the commander of the 2nd Defence Zone, which included the provinces of Kasaï-Oriental, Kasaï-Occidental, and Katanga.[5] [6]

Notes and References

  1. Bakumanya, Bienvenu-Marie (26 May 2017). How Laurent left bitter legacy in DRC. African Independent. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  2. https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/dr-congoisiro-fardc-general-kifwa-sensitizes-fardc-and-pnc DR Congo/Isiro: FARDC General Kifwa sensitizes FARDC and PNC on discipline and human rights
  3. https://www.thedailybeast.com/general-kony-out-of-congo General: Kony Out of Congo
  4. https://suluhu.org/2014/09/28/reshuffle-in-the-congolese-army-cui-bono/ Reshuffle in the Congolese army – cui bono?
  5. https://ethuin.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/27092014-wondo-fardc-reshuffle.png Commanders of defense zones and military zones as of September 2014
  6. Web site: List of general officers appointed to the heads of military units . 22 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150110051018/http://ethuin.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/20140919_la_liste_des_officiers_gc3a9nc3a9raux_et_supc3a9rieu-rs-nommc3a9s-c3a0-la-tc3aate-des-grandes-unitc3a9s-militaires-forum_des_as_pp-913.pdf . 10 January 2015 . live . dmy-all .