Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz
Divisional general Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz (born 1 June 1952) is a Brazilian military officer who previously held the post of Force Commander of the United Nations' peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (known by its acronym, MONUSCO). He was appointed to this position by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 17 May 2013[1] and replaced by Derrick Mbuyiselo Mgwebi on 29 December 2015.[2] He was Minister-Secretary of Government of Brazil, nominated by President Jair Bolsonaro, from 1 January 2019 to 13 June 2019.[3]
Carlos Alberto dos Santos Cruz | |
|---|---|
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| Minister-Secretary of Government of Brazil | |
| In office 1 January 2019 – 13 June 2019 | |
| President | Jair Bolsonaro |
| Preceded by | Carlos Marun |
| Succeeded by | Luiz Eduardo Ramos |
| Force Commander of MONUSCO | |
| In office April 2013 – December 2015 | |
| Head | Martin Kobler |
| Preceded by | Derrick Mgwebi |
| Succeeded by | Chander Prakash |
| Force Commander of MINUSTAH | |
| In office January 2007 – April 2009 | |
| Head | Edmond Mulet Hédi Annabi |
| Preceded by | José Elito Carvalho Siqueira |
| Succeeded by | Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1 June 1952 Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil |
| Spouse(s) | Dora Regina Gondim |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |   |
| Branch/service |  |
| Years of service | 1968–2019 |
| Rank |  |
| Commands | MINUSTAH MONUSCO 43rd Motorized Infantry Battalion 13th Motorized Infantry Brigade 2nd Army Division National Public Security Force |
| Awards | Order of Military Merit (Grand Officer) Order of Naval Merit (Commander) Order of Aeronautical Merit (Grand Officer) Order of Labor Merit (Commander) Peacekeeper Medal Gold Military Medal (40 years of service) Order of Defence Merit (Grand Official) |
Biography
His grandfather emigrated from Vila Nova de Cerveira, Portugal in 1921 at the age of 22. He is of Quadroon stock on his grandmother's side. His mother is of Portuguese Nobility origin from Bahia. A graduate of the Military Academy of Agulhas Negras 1974 Promotion (Resende, Rio de Janeiro) and the Catholic University of Campinas, Santos Cruz has more than 40 years of national and international military experience. He served as Deputy Commander for Land Operations of the Brazilian Army from April 2011 and March 2013. He also served as Special Adviser to the Minister for the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs within the Presidency of Brazil.[4]
Santos Cruz served as Force Commander of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) between January 2007 and April 2009. In April 2013, he received command of United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). Santos Cruz commanded MONUSCO during the M23 rebellion and was praised for providing "strong backing" to the UN forces engaged alongside Congolese government forces.[5]
References
- "Brazil's Santos Cruz to head UN's DR Congo mission". BBC. 17 May 2013.
- "Secretary-General Appoints Lieutenant General Derrick Mbuyiselo Mgwebi of South Africa Commander, UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo". Press Release. United Nations. 29 December 2015.
- Arbex, Thais; Carvalho, Daniel (13 June 2019). "Bolsonaro demite general Santos Cruz, e outro militar assume Secretaria de Governo" [Bolsonaro Fires General Santos Cruz, And Another Military Assumes Secretariat of Government] (in Portuguese). Folha de S. Paulo. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
- "Secretary-general appoints Lieutenant General Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz of Brazil Force Commander for UN Mission in Democratic Republic of Congo". Article. www.un.org/News/Press. 17 May 2013.
- Olivier, Darren. "How M23 was rolled back". African Defence Review. Retrieved 2015-04-21.
Further reading
- Lt Gen Carlos Santos Cruz: We will go after those who are committing crimes against the population
- MONUSCO Senior Military Command meet over civilian protection and security issues
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Carlos Marun |
Secretary of Government of Brazil 2019 |
Succeeded by Luiz Eduardo Ramos |
| Diplomatic posts | ||
| Preceded by José Elito Carvalho Siqueira |
Force Commander of MINUSTAH 2007–2009 |
Succeeded by Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto |
| Preceded by Chander Prakash |
Force Commander of MONUSCO 2013–2015 |
Succeeded by Derrick Mbuyiselo Mgwebi |
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