MILITARY SHUFFLES UPPER RANKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 LILONGWE 000855

SIPDIS

HARARE FOR DATT
GABORONE FOR ODC
DEPT FOR INR/B
DIA FOR AFRICA DIVISION/A. DEMOTTE

E.O. 12958: DECL: X6
TAGS: MCAP MOPS PINR PGOV MI
SUBJECT: MILITARY SHUFFLES UPPER RANKS

REF: LILONGWE 652

Classified By: Pol/Econ Officer Peter W. Lord, reasons 1.5 (b/d).


1. (U) President Bingu wa Mutharika appointed Major General
Ernest Ntonya as Deputy Commander of the Malawi Defense Force
(MDF) and promoted him to the rank of Lieutenant General on
August 1. Ntonya, who was serving as the military's Chief of
Staff, fills the hole created by General Marko Chiziko's
appointment and promotion to MDF Commander (reftel). (Bio
information for Chiziko begins in paragraph 3; for Ntonya,
paragraph 7.)


2. (U) Following the appointment of the new Commander and
Deputy, the MDF shuffled its upper ranks as follows:

Chief of Staff: Maj. Gen. Evaristo F. J. Kadzeya
Deputy (and Public Information Officer): Col. Clement M.
Namangale

Director of Military Operations: Col. Mecres A. Chinjala

Director of Military Intelligence: Col. Reuben P. Ngwenya

Director of Personnel: Col. Rodrick R. K. Chimowa

Director of Finance: Brig. Gen. Marcel Chirwa

Director of Training: Brig. Gen. Cosgrove Mituka
Acting Deputy: Lt. Col. Paul V. Phiri

94 Brigade Commander: Col. Vincent M. Malonda

Commander, Malawi Air Wing: Col. J. K. Mtende

Inspector General: Brig. Gen. H. G. Kadzuwa

Public Relations and Liaison Officer, MOD: Brig. Gen. Davie

J. Sefu

BIO INFORMATION: CHIZIKO, MARKO DALTON
--------------

3. (C) General Marko Dalton Chiziko is a seasoned and
intelligent military professional, who will capably lead the
Malawi Defense Force (MDF). With his no-nonsense leadership
style and proactive commitment to quality, he will maintain
and further the MDF's apolitical stance and professionalism
by seeking mission-orientated training and combating
HIV/AIDS. An advocate of the MDF's development as a regional
peacekeeping force, Chiziko played a leading role in the
MDF's participation in the African Crisis Response Initiative
(ACRI) and its successor program Africa Contingency
Operations Training Assistance (ACOTA). Very supportive of
the USG's military programs in Malawi, our close relations
with the MDF will strengthen under Chiziko's leadership as
Commander.


4. (C) A career military officer, Chiziko enlisted in August

1972. He progressed quickly through the ranks and has been
decorated with several awards, including the Efficiency
Medal, the Nacala Campaign Medal, the Malawi Silver Jubilee
Medal, and the Long Service and Good Conduct Medal. He has
trained in the UK, the Netherlands, Botswana, South Africa
and the United States. He attended the Army Command and
General Staff Course in 1988/1989.


5. (C) Born in April 1952, Chiziko hails from the Central
Region district of Dowa. He obtained a Malawi School
Certificate of Education (the equivalent of a high school
diploma) from Dedza Secondary School. He is married and has
four children.


6. (C) Chiziko's Curriculum Vitae:

DOB: 17 April 1952
POB: Chiziko Village, Chakhaza Traditional Authority, Dowa
District
Ethnic Group: Chewa
Education: Malawi School Certificate of Education, Dedza
Secondary School

Enlisted: 05 August 1972
Commissioned Second Lieutenant: 07 March 1975

Promotions:
Lieutenant: 01 August 1976
Captain: 09 June 1980
Major: 07 December 1981
Lt. Colonel: 01 March 1989
Colonel: 05 January 1993
Brigadier: 01 April 1994
Major General: 16 January 1998
General: 12 July 2004

Appointments:
Platoon Commander: March 1975
Company Second-in-Command: Sept 1979
Officer Commander Cadets Wing: April 1981
Officer Commanding, First Battalion - Malawi Rifles: July
1983
Third-in-Command, First Battalion - Malawi Rifles: April 1985
Second-in-Command, First Battalion - Malawi Rifles: Aug 1986
Commanding Officer, First Battalion - Malawi Rifles: Aug 1989
Staff Officer Course Training, Malawi Armed Forces College:
Sept 1992
Deputy Commandant, Malawi Armed Forces College: Jan 1993
Commandant, Malawi Armed Forces College: Jan 1994
Chief of Staff: Dec 1996
Deputy Army Commander: Jan 1998
Army Commander: July 2004

Courses Attended:
Officer Cadets Course (UK): Sept 1974 - Mar 1975
Platoon Commanders Course (Malawi): Sept 1975 - Oct 1975
Combat Team Commanders Course (UK): Mar 1980 - April 1980
Short Staff Course (Malawi): 1976
Army Command and General Staff Course (USA): July 1998 - June
1989
Political Warfare Course (Taiwan): August 1986 - Sept 1986
Resource Management Course (Botswana): 1991
Public Sector Administration (South Africa): 1995
Chemical Warfare Course (Netherlands): unknown
Defense Management Course (South Africa): 1997

Decorations:
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Malawi Silver Jubilee Medal
Nacala Campaign Medal
Efficiency Medal


BIO INFORMATION: NTONYA, ERNEST CLEMENT
--------------

7. (C) Lieutenant General Ernest Clement Ntonya is a reserved
professional with a solid education. A career military
officer, he enlisted in February 1973 and has served as
Malawi's Defense Attache to both Kenya and the UK. He has
been decorated with several awards, including the Long
Service and Good Conduct Medal, the Nacala Corridor Campaign
Medal, and the Efficiency Medal. Ntonya trained as a pilot
in West Germany in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and
later did additional training in Arizona. He also took
courses in the UK and Canada, where he attended a staff
college course in 1977.


8. (C) Hailing from the Southern District of Chiradzulu,
Ntonya was born in October 1952. He obtained a Malawi School
Certificate of Education (the equivalent of a high school
diploma) from Soche Hill Secondary School in Blantyre and his
Master in Strategic Management from the University of
Stratchclyde (via correspondence course). He is married and
has five children.


9. (C) Ntonya's Curriculum Vitae:

DOB: 03 October 1952
POB: Chiradzulu
Ethnic Group: Yao
Education: Malawi School Certificate of Education - 'O' Levels

Enlisted: 26 February 1973
Commissioned Second Lieutenant: 28 June 1974

Promotions:
Lieutenant: 26 February 1976
Temporary Captain: 01 April 1977
Sub-Captain: 14 June 1979
Temporary Major: 01 January 1984
Sub-Major: 19 August 1984
Lt. Colonel: 01 July 1986
Colonel: 05 January 1993
Brigadier: 18 February 1998
Lt. General: 01 August 2004

Appointments:
Platoon Commander: June 1974 - Oct 1976
Adjutant Second Battalion - Malawi Rifles: Nov 1976
Adjutant Support Battalion: 1977
Second-in-Command, Malawi Army Air Wing: 02 March 1980
Adjutant/Operations Officer, Malawi Army Air Wing: 01 August
1981
Air Liaison Officer, Air Wing Headquarters - Zomba: 01 May
1983
Defense Attache (Kenya): 01 August 1986
Defense Attache (UK): 1992 -1994
Commandant, Army Headquarters - Lilongwe: 1994
Public Relations Officer and Liaison Officer, Ministry of
Defense: 05 May 1995
Deputy Director of Personnel: 20 Dec 1996
Director of Logistics: 04 March 1998
Chief of Staff: 1998
Deputy Commander: 01 August 2004

Courses Attended:
Officer Training (UK): Jan 1974 - June 1974
Platoon Commander Course (Malawi): Mar 1975 - April 1975
Staff Course (Canada): April 1977 - December 1977
Pilot Training Course (West Germany): 1978 - 1980
Regional Senior Officers Short Staff and Command Course
(Zambia): Nov 1997 - Dec 1997
Flight Training (Tucson, AZ): 1998

Decorations:
Long Service and Good Conduct Medal
Nacala Corridor Campaign Medal
Efficiency Medal
RASPOLIC