The Chief of the Defence Staff (French: Chef d'état-major des armées—CEMA) is the professional head of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Ivory Coast. The Chief of the Defence Staff is appointed by the President of Ivory Coast, who is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces according to the Constitution.
| Chief of the Defence Staff of Ivory Coast | |
|---|---|
| Chef d'état-major des armées de la Côte d'Ivoire | |
 | |
since 28 December 2018 | |
| Armed Forces | |
| Type | Chief of staff |
| Status | Senior-most officer |
| Abbreviation | CEMA |
| Appointer | President of Ivory Coast Alassane Ouattara |
| Term length | Not fixed |
| Inaugural holder | Army corps general Thomas d'Aquin Ouattara |
| Formation | 1960 |
The current Chief of the Defence Staff is Army corps general Lassina Doumbia, since 28 December 2018.[1]
List of chiefs of the defence staff
edit| No. | Portrait | Chief of the Defence Staff | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defence branch | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Army corps general Thomas d'Aquin Ouattara (1916–1990) | 1960 | 1974 | 13–14 years | Army | [2] | |
| 2 | Army corps general Ibrahima Coulibaly | 1974 | 1979 | 4–5 years | Army | – | |
| 3 | Divisional general Bertin Zézé Baroan | 1979 | November 1987 | 7–8 years | Army | [2] | |
| 4 | Brigadier general Félix Ory | November 1987 | 1990 | 2–3 years | Army | [2] | |
| 5 | Brigadier general Robert Guéï (1941–2002) [a] | 1990 | 1995 | 4–5 years | Army | – | |
| 6 | Vice admiral Lassana Timité | 1995 | 1999 | 3–4 years | Navy | – | |
| 7 | Brigadier general Soumaïla Diabagaté | 1999 | 2000 | 0–1 years | Army | – | |
| 8 | Divisional general Mathias Doué (1946–2017) [b] | 2000 | 2004 | 3–4 years | Army | – | |
| 9 | Army corps general Philippe Mangou (born 1952) [c] | 2004 | 2011 | 6–7 years | Army | [3] | |
| 10 | Army corps general Soumaila Bakayoko (born 1953) [d] | 7 July 2011 | 9 January 2017 | 5 years, 182 days | Army | [4] | |
| 11 | Army corps general Sékou Touré (born 1956) | 9 January 2017 | 28 December 2018 | 1 year, 353 days | Army | [5] | |
| 12 | Army corps general Lassina Doumbia | 28 December 2018 | Incumbent | 5 years, 329 days | Army | [1] |
![Thomas d'Aquin Ouattara [fr]](/wiki/File:No_image.png)
Notes
edit- ^ Later staged the 1999 Ivorian coup d'état, and served as head of state from 1999 until 2000.
- ^ Removed following the 2004 French–Ivorian clashes.
- ^ Removed following the Second Ivorian Civil War.
- ^ Previously served as the Chief of Staff of the rebel FNCI. Dismissed following the 2017 Ivory Coast mutinies.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Vincent Duhem (4 April 2019). "General Lassina Doumbia, keeping the Ivorian army in line". The Africa Report. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Smaldone, Joseph P. (1992). "National Security". In Handloff, Robert Earl; Roberts, Thomas Duval (eds.). Cote d'Ivoire: a country study. Area Handbook (3rd ed.). Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress. p. 184. LCCN 90-5878. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ "Mouvements à la tête de l'armée ivoirienne". Le Nouvel Observateur. 25 November 2004.
- ^ "Ivory Coast ex-rebel commander Bakayoko named army head". BBC News. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
- ^ Ange Aboa (9 January 2017). "Ivory Coast's president dismisses heads of army, police, gendarmes". Reuters. Retrieved 28 November 2020.