Civil Guard (Zaire)
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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
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and
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, 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
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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