Brazzaville ceremony for DGSP and Republican Guard
BRAZZAVILLE — A total of 308 personnel promoted within the operational structures of the Presidency of the Republic, notably the Directorate General for Presidential Security (DGSP) and the Republican Guard (GR), officially pinned on their new insignia in Brazzaville on January 10 for the first quarter of 2026.
The ceremony was held under the auspices of the President’s special adviser and DGSP director general, Brigadier General Serge Oboa, in the presence of several military authorities and the families of the newly promoted.
Who was promoted: senior officers to NCO ranks
According to figures shared during the event, 29 senior officers received new ranks, including seven colonels, 13 lieutenant-colonels and nine commanders.
The same ceremony also promoted 60 junior officers, including 25 captains and 35 lieutenants. In addition, 219 non-commissioned officers were promoted: two warrant officer majors, 97 chief warrant officers, 76 warrant officers and 44 sergeants major.
A symbolic moment ahead of March national deadline
In his address, Gen. Oboa said the ceremony carried strong symbolism because it was presented as the last one he would preside over within the President’s current mandate, which he said ends in March.
He added that the promotions were also the first of their kind before what he described as a major national deadline in March, underscoring the need for readiness and professionalism within the Force publique.
Message tied to peace, calm and transparent elections
Gen. Oboa recalled an instruction attributed to the President of the Republic, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, during the 2025 end-of-year “réveillon d’armes” address: elections, he said, must take place in “peace, calm and transparency.”
He asked the newly promoted personnel to internalize that guidance, stressing that the Force publique has a duty to support the Republic’s institutions as the country approaches the coming electoral period.
Public order: urging calm and legal channels for claims
Within that framework, the DGSP director general urged the population not to disturb public order. At the same time, he noted that people who feel wronged have an established framework in the Republic to present claims.
Using a sports metaphor, he said: “A match is played in the stadium, not in the street. The stadium here represents the ballot box,” framing elections as the legitimate venue for political competition.
Security operation announced to target banditry
Gen. Oboa also announced that, in 11 days, his services would launch a four-month operation aimed at tracking criminals and bandits operating in neighborhoods. He said the goal is to strengthen the sense of safety for daily life.
“We feel, in our neighborhoods, that our mothers, sisters and children are trying to go about their activities freely. That is what the Republic wants, but we are not finished,” he said, adding that the operation would continue “to the last stronghold of the last bandit.”
‘Zero Kuluna’: intelligence-led approach, officials say
Speaking about the operation known as “Zero Kuluna,” presented as an initiative to pursue banditry, Gen. Oboa said it would be carried out based on intelligence.
“We do not take just anyone. We have intelligence, and the human and material means to track bandits,” he said, describing a targeted approach rather than indiscriminate arrests.
Guidance to families and rules for meetings at home
Gen. Oboa also addressed families, calling on parents who wish to make complaints to do so within their own compounds rather than in the streets. He warned that those who take to the streets on behalf of offenders could be treated as accomplices.
He added that those arrested would face the full force of the law regardless of rank or social status, and urged families to keep children at home to prevent involvement in criminal acts.
Noise, gatherings and the stated limits of tolerance
On gatherings, Gen. Oboa said disorder would not be tolerated. He indicated that meetings held within private compounds would be within people’s rights, but he drew a line at noise disturbances.
He said that if gatherings create excessive noise, those responsible could be arrested, closing his remarks with a call for discipline and respect for public tranquility as the country moves toward March.