The Zairian Civil Guard (french: Garde civile zaïroise) was a militarised police force in

Zaire Zaire (, ), officially the Republic of Zaire (french: République du Zaïre, link=no, ), was a Congolese state from 1971 to 1997 in Central Africa that was previously and is now again known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Zaire was, ...

(now

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

), created to support the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko.

History

The unit was created in 1984,See Ordonnance-loi No. 84-036 du 28 Aout 1984 portant creation et organisation de la Garde Civile du Zaire, Agence Zaire Presse, 29 August 1984. See also Meitho 2001, 44–49. after fighting between Zairian and

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are t ...

n soldiers in the Shaba Province (now Katanga Province). Trained by instructors from

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

and

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

, it was responsible for border security, the fight against illegal traffic and terrorism, and the restoration of public order. In 1987, the husband of a cousin of Mobutu's first wife,

Kpama Baramoto Kata Kpama Baramoto Kata (born Yakoma, 1947) was a general of the Zairian Forces Armées Zaïroises The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: Forces armées de la république démocratique du Congo ARDC is the state organ ...

, then a

section Section, Sectioning or Sectioned may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Section (music), a complete, but not independent, musical idea * Section (typography), a subdivision, especially of a chapter, in books and documents ** Section sig ...

commander, was promoted to

army general Army general is the highest ranked general officer in many countries that use the French Revolutionary System.　 In countries that adopt the general officer four rank system, it is rank of general commanding an army in the field, but in coun ...

(général d'armée) and took charge of the Civil Guard. In 1990–1995, the unit included a certain number of exiled Katangese Tigers who wished to return to the Katanga Province. In 1996, the Civil Guard, still commanded by Baramoto, officially consisted of 26,000 men, its budget being equivalent to four times of that of the regular

Zairian Armed Forces The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: Forces armées de la république démocratique du Congo ARDC is the state organisation responsible for defending the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The FARDC was rebuilt pat ...

(FAZ). After having participated in the First Congo War, the unit was dissolved at the end of 1997.

References

Bibliography

* * {{portal, Military history, Democratic Republic of the Congo Military of Zaire Military units and formations established in 1984 1984 establishments in Zaire First Congo War Military units and formations disestablished in 1997 1997 disestablishments in Africa