The Group of Military Higher Schools (
Groupement des écoles supérieures militaires, GESM) was created as part of the post–
Second Congo War reorganization of the
Congolese Armed Forces (
Forces armées congolaises; FAC). It was formally established by Decree No. 106/2002 of 19 August 2002, signed by President
Joseph Kabila, during a phase of institutional restructuring within the FAC following years of conflict and fragmentation. The agreement provided for the establishment of a computerized training room at the GESM as part of broader efforts to modernize military education. In September 2005, a computerized training facility was inaugurated at the Centre Supérieur Militaire in Kinshasa during a ceremony co-chaired by Onusumba and Serre, with technical assistance from a French expert and the donation of approximately 500 books to the GESM library. In September 2006, Franco-Congolese cooperation deepened with the signing of a second agreement that established a documentation and information center, which was implemented under the supervision of French technical military cooperator Lieutenant Colonel Éric Branche. By 2008, this center was fully operational, containing a library,
reprography services, an internet room, and multipurpose spaces, and financed through joint contributions of roughly $135,000 from France and $20,000 from the DRC. These developments coincided with the rehabilitation of a new amphitheater at the GESM, which was undertaken as part of a broader infrastructure upgrade program and costing approximately $750,000. That same year, cooperation with the
United Kingdom contributed to the GESM's expansion through a partnership revived in August 2006 with the support of the
British Council, under which two buildings and four rehabilitated blocks, including trainee housing and classrooms, were inaugurated and handed over to the Congolese Ministry of Defense by British Minister of State for Africa
Mark Malloch Brown. British assistance also included computer and teaching equipment and the funding of specialized training programs, particularly in peacekeeping, English-language instruction, and military justice. From 2005 onward, the GESM also served as a platform for large-scale training supported by the
United States, with U.S. instructors assisting in continuous professional development programs at the
Binza–Ozone site. By December 2008, twelve training cycles had produced 947 retrained FARDC officers. Additional British-funded infrastructure improvements followed in November 2009 with the inauguration of new dining facilities for FARDC personnel. In the early 2010s, the GESM continued to host specialized training, including a U.S.-funded military intelligence course in early 2013 and peacekeeping-oriented English-language training supported by the United Kingdom, which culminated in April 2013 with the graduation of 65 officers after a nine-month program and was later expanded to the Officer Training School (
École de formation des officiers, EFO; now the
Kananga Military Academy,
Académie militaire de Kananga) with GESM support. == References ==