Célestin Mbala was born in
Lubumbashi in 1956 to a
Luba mother from
Kasaï-Occidental and a
Mulubakat father from
Nyunzu Territory in the
Tanganyika Province. He joined the Armed Forces of Zaire and graduated from the
Officers' Training School in
Kananga. Before that, he was a long time Chief of Staff to the President's office, since at least 2010, as a
brigadier general. In September 2014, during Kabila's restructuring of the army, Mbala was a
major general and was appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration and Logistics. After the
election of
Félix Tshisekedi to the Presidency of the DRC, in May 2019 he confirmed Mbala as FARDC chief of general staff. President Tshisekedi also promoted him to the rank of Army General. In October 2022, President Félix Tshisekedi appointed Lieutenant-General
Christian Tshiwewe Songesha as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces. Mbala is listed among the officers awaiting retirement. ==References==