Rwanda and Cameroon have unveiled significant shifts in their security forces, impacting senior military personnel.
In Rwanda, President Paul Kagame retired hundreds of soldiers, coinciding with the advancement of young soldiers within the nation's security framework. New generals have also been appointed to lead army divisions situated across the country.
The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) released a statement disclosing Kagame's approval of the retirement of twelve generals, eighty-three senior officers, and six junior officers. Additionally, eighty-six senior non-commissioned officers will be retired. About 678 soldiers retired as their contracts concluded, with 160 others medically discharged.
Prominent figures from Rwanda's 1994 liberation war, including Gen. James Kabarebe, Gen. Fred Ibingira, and Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga, are among the retirees. Both Kabarebe and Kayonga previously held the position of chief of defense staff of the Rwandan army.
On the same day, Kagame elevated several young officers to the rank of colonel and designated new generals to lead military divisions. Other retirees encompass Lt. Gen. Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, currently Rwanda’s ambassador to Russia, and Maj. Gen. Albert Murasira, a former defense minister.
In June, Kagame appointed Juvenal Marizamunda as the new defense minister, succeeding Albert Murasira, who had held the role since 2018.
In parallel, Cameroon's President Paul Biya, one of Africa's longest-serving leaders, enacted fresh appointments within the Defense Ministry's central administrative unit, as outlined in a decree shared on social media.
DToccs on August 31st, 2023 at 22:03 UTC »
There's a bunch of African countries that have had either the same party or in a lot of cases the same person in power for 20+ years. I imagine that a few of them are sweating a bit right now.
ontrack on August 31st, 2023 at 21:35 UTC »
It will be interesting to see how Cameroon will navigate the post-Biya era. He's basically been the entire show the whole time. There really isn't a #2 in the country that has any real power. I Iived there for two years back around 2018 and in Yaounde the capital things are pretty stable.
Also Cameroon is not a totalitarian state. Basically as long as you don't overtly challenge the President, you can live pretty much however you like; it's not a police state (though the police can be annoying with petty corruption). You can even criticize some government policy as long as you don't implicate the President himself. That may be one reason why Biya has never had too many issues with coup attempts. He has felt secure enough to spend months at a time in Geneva, Switzerland, taking over the entire floor of a hotel there.
There is a low-level rebellion in the English speaking provinces that will likely remain contained because they are only a small part of the country, while the majority are French speaking and not part of this rebellion.
selflessGene on August 31st, 2023 at 18:35 UTC »
SS
Rwanda and Cameroon have reset the military leadership in the wave of military coups across francophone African countries. Rwanda began the military purge in June 2023, but both countries announced leadership changes after the recent Gabon coup. The Cameroonian president, Paul Biya began his term in 1982 (40 years ago). Paul Kagame began his term in 2000 (23 years ago).