Lieutenant General Daniel Sidiki Traoré (Burkina Faso)

Force Commander

Lieutenant General Sidiki Daniel TRAORE was born on December 4, 1957 in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso). The senior officer is an alumnus of Saint-Louis (Senegal) and Kadiogo (Burkina Faso) military high schools. He attended officer Training Course from 1978 to 1981 at the Royal Military Academy (ARM) in Meknès (Morocco) and the Mechanized Infantry Basic Officer Course at Fort Benning (Georgia) in the United States of America in 1982.  

During his nearly forty three year-long of military career, Lieutenant General Traoré served at increasingly higher positions within Burkina Faso military including Commandant of the Georges Namoano Military Academy (AMGN); Commandant of the Recruit Training Center (GIFAP); Commander of the 6^th Military Region and Commander of the 2^nd Military Region. The senior officer also occupied several key positions at the General Headquarters of Burkina Faso Armed Forces including Head of Operations Department, Head of Intelligence Department, Head of Human Resources Department and Special Adviser to the Chief of Defense Staff. Throughout his military career, the senior officer participated in several military and peacekeeping exercises at both regional and international levels.

Lieutenant General Traoré holds a Master’s degrees in Sociology and an advanced studies degree (DEA) in Methods in History and Archeology from the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes (EPHE) of Paris, 2004. He is currently a doctoral candidate in History and Civilizations at the School of Higher Studies in Social Sciences (EHESS) of Paris. His dissertation topic is: "Challenges in financing ECOWAS-led Peace Operations in West Africa through its Mechanism".

Lieutenant General Traoré is also a graduate of the French War College (2004). He attended the Human Resource Directors’ course at the Military School of Administration and Management (EMSAM) in Montpellier (France) in 2006 and was an auditor of the 12^th Forum of the Institute of Advanced National Defense Studies (IHEDN) in Paris in 2011.

The senior officer was a lecturer at the Institute for Diplomacy and International Relations (IDRI) in Ouagadougou and the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) from 2004 to 2009 where he taught "Conflict Management in Africa". He also produced several research papers in the field of Peacekeeping Operations in Africa some of which were published.  

As far as Peace Operations are concerned, in addition to his recent appointment on January 21, 2020 as Force Commander of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Lieutenant General Sidiki Daniel TRAORE has an extensive experience in various UN led missions across Africa in which he occupied the following positions:

• Deputy Force Commander MINUSCA (Central African Republic) from June 26, 2016 to September 1, 2018;
• Sector West Commander MINUSMA (Timbuktu, Mali) from November 28, 2014 to May 31, 2016;
• Sector West Commander UNAMID (El Geneina, Sudan) from May 2012 to July 2014;
• Deputy Force Chief of Staff MINURCAT from November 2009 to December 2010;
• Military Observers’ Team Leader within MONUC from June 2001 to June 2002.

General Traoré also attended various high level Peace Operations courses, workshops and seminars, the most prominent of which are listed below:

• 6^th Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa held from 18 to 19 November 2019;
• Panel for the 2019 United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel’s (UNOWAS) conference with Defense Attaché’s held in Dakar on October 24, 2019 (Co-Chair);
• 3^rd Edition of the African Peace and Security Annual Conference (APSACO) organized by the Policy Center for the New South in Rabat, Morocco from June 18 to June 19, 2019;
• Senior Leadership Program (SLP) in New York from June 5 to June 9, 2017 (designed for senior UN officials);
• Intensive Orientation Course (IOC) in New York from October 3 to 7, 2016 (designed for senior UN officials), as DFC;
• Senior Mission Leaders’ Course (SML) in Beijing (China) from June 6 to 17, 2016 (designed for senior UN officials);
• Sector Commanders’ Course at the Regional Training and Conference Centre (RTCC) in Entebbe (UGANDA). It is worth mentioning that General Traoré was also nominated twice as a facilitator for this course in September 2016 and March 2018.

Over the years, Lieutenant General Traoré has been a passionate advocate for the use of new technological tools in Peace operations. Under his leadership during his time as Deputy Force Commander of MINUSCA, he hardly pushed for the procurement and provision of Phantom 4 UAVs to military observers’ teams. This did not only enhance MILOBS work in the field but also contributed to the creation of a safer environment for UN Personnel.

In recognition of his commitment to advance the peace and security agenda in Africa, Lieutenant General Traoré was awarded several decorations including the European Union Medal labelled "The Common Security and Defense Policy Service Medal for Planning and Support" and the UN medals for MONUC, MINURCAT, UNAMID, MINUSMA and MINUSCA. The senior officer is also a recipient of the Knight medal of the French National Order of Merit and at the national level, is a “Commander of the National Order”.

Lieutenant General Sidiki Daniel TRAORE is happily married and his marriage is blessed with three (03) children.

Major General Pedro Miguel Alves Gonçalves Soares

Deputy Force Commander

Major General Pedro Miguel Alves Gonçalves Soares was born on 18^th of September 1964 in Catumbela, Angola. He is 57 years old with 40 years of service. He was promoted to his current rank on 30^th December 2021.

He is qualified with the career courses, namely the Army General Staff Course and the Flag Officer’s Promotion Course. From his record of service other courses stand out, the Commandos Course, the Long-Range Reconnaissance Patrols Course and the US Army’s Ranger and Airborne Courses.

Throughout his career he has served in several Units, Departments and Structures of the Portuguese Army and Portuguese Armed Forces General Staff. Within the Army Chief of Staff Cabinet as Military Cooperation and Alliances Department Head. Within the Lieutenant-General Deputy-Chief of the Army Cabinet and the Lieutenant-General Human Resources Commander Cabinet as Military Assistant. In the Portuguese Army’s HQ Force Planning Division Head. In the Commandos Unit as Deputy Commander and Unit Commander. And in the Human Resources Management Department as Military Personnel Management Department Head.

Later in Mons/Belgium he was Support to Operations Branch Head in the operations Division and Operational Concepts and Standards Branch Head in the Strategic Development of Forces Division, both at SHAPE/NATO. More recently he was the Rapid Reaction Brigade Commander.

He has carried out five operational deployments, namely in Mozambique, East-Timor, Angola and two in Afghanistan, always as Commander or Director.

Major-General Gonçalves Soares has been awarded with twelve commendations, 4 granted by the Portuguese Armed Forces’ Chief of Staff, 3 by the Army’s Chief of Staff, 4 by other Generals and 1 by other Military Entity.

He also holds several decorations, namely 5 Silver Distinguished Services Medals; 2 Military Merit Medals, 2 D. Afonso Henriques Medal – Army´s Merit and the Gold  and Silver Exemplary Behaviour Medals.