Military Coups: Rwandan, Cameroonian Govts retire top military brass

The Rwandan and Cameroonian governments have reshuffled their military in what some analysts believed to be panic measures following the recent coups in Niger and Gabon which overthrew the elected governments of the two countries.

According to a Rwandan national newspaper, News-Times, the Federal Government approved the retirement of 12 generals and several officers. The publication stated that the retirements were announced on Wednesday, August 30, in a statement issued by the Rwanda Defence Force.

Among those retired include two four-star generals, James Kabarebe and Fred Ibingira, and two three-star generals, Charles Kayonga and Frank Mushyo Kamanzi.

Kabarebe and Kayonga have previously served as Chief of Defence Staff of RDF, while the other two have been service chiefs previously.

The statement partly reads, “The President has also approved the retirement of 83 senior officers, six junior officers and 86 senior noncommissioned officers, 678 whose contracts ended and 160 medical discharges.”

In Cameroon, President Paul Biya has also reshuffled the military with new appointments.

This was contained in a statement, signed by Biya, that is been circulated on X, formerly known as Twitter. The statement was written in French, the country’s official language of communication.

Translated by PUNCH, the statement announced new appointments to the Controle Generale des Armees. The new controllers are Captain Ajeagah Njei Félix Colonel and Colonel Nguema Ondo Bertin Bourger. Appointments were also made to the positions of Technical Advisers, Bureau Commissariat, and Air Force Technical Inspector.