Joseph Zoundeiko
Born1969 or 1970[1]
Tiringoulou, Vakaga
Died11 February 2017
Bambari, Ouaka
NationalityCentral African Republic
Military career
AllegianceUnion of Democratic Forces for Unity
Years of service2006 – 2012
Military career
AllegianceSéléka
Years of service2012 – 2014
Military career
AllegiancePopular Front for the Rebirth of Central African Republic
Years of service2014 – 2017

General Joseph Zoundeiko (or Zindeko) (died 11 February 2017) was the leader of military wing of the Central African rebel militia alliance, Séléka.[2]

Life

Born in Tiringoulou, Vakaga, he worked as a guard and tracker, securing parklands on the northwestern borders of the country from poachers from neighboring Chad and South Sudan. He joined the CAR army in 1997 and was promoted to lieutenant. In 2006, he joined the UFDR rebel group. President Djototia later promoted him to major, then colonel and brigadier general.[3] He was appointed on May 9, 2014 by a Seleka congress that gathered more than 500 officers and officials in N'Délé.[2] He has rejected the ceasefire deal agreed between Seleka and the largely Christian Anti-balaka militias on July 24, 2014, saying the deal had been negotiated without proper input from the military wing.[4] After the dissolution of Seleka, he became head of the Popular Front for the Renaissance of the Central African Republic (FPRC) and often fought with the largely Fulani and rival ex-Seleka militia, the Union for Peace in the Central African Republic (UPC) led by General Ali Darrassa. The FPRC reported on 12 February 2017 that Zoundeiko was killed when a UN helicopter fired on fighters advancing towards the town of Bambari the day before.[5][6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fighting over the spoils of war
  2. 1 2 "Central African Republic's Seleka rebels pick new commander, say to regroup". reuters.com. 10 May 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  3. ↑ Juan Fandos-Rius, Richard Bradshaw (27 May 2016). Historical Dictionary of the Central African Republic. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 662. ISBN 9780810879928.
  4. ↑ "Central African Republic rebel chief rejects ceasefire". bbc.com. 25 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "U.N. 'KILLS REBEL COMMANDER' IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AIRSTRIKES". Newsweek. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "U.N. air strikes in Central African Republic kill several: militia". Reuters. 12 February 2017.
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