In response to recent power seizures in Niger and Gabon, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Cameroonian President Paul Biya have taken swift action to reinforce their control by dismissing key military chiefs, as revealed in their official statements.
Rwandan leader Paul Kagame, aged 65, made a decisive move by relieving almost 200 military officials of their duties, including renowned figures like four-star generals James Kabarebe and Fred Ibingira, as well as three-star generals Charles Kayonga and Frank Mushyo Kamanzi. The announcement was disclosed by the Rwandan outlet The New Times, which cited an official government communication.
Notably, President Kagame also retired 83 senior officers, 06 junior officers, and 86 senior non-commissioned officers, along with 678 end-of-contract officers. Additionally, 160 officers were discharged on medical grounds, according to the official statement.
Meanwhile, 90-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who primarily resides in Switzerland, exhibited a similar stance against potential instability. In response to the unfolding power dynamics, he swiftly shuffled military officers across the army, air force, and marine units.
These sweeping changes in leadership within the military hierarchies of Rwanda and Cameroon come shortly after the coup in Gabon, where President Ali Bongo Ondimba was ousted and subsequently confined to house arrest by the intervention of military personnel. Though the two leaders did not explicitly acknowledge the coups in Niger and Gabon as catalysts for their actions, the timing suggests a strategic move to preempt any similar disruptions within their respective nations.
Notably, the military junta that seized control in Niger in late July faced sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Despite these measures, efforts to encourage the junta to relinquish power to the democratically elected leadership have thus far been ineffective.
Cameroonian President Paul Biya, in a statement shared on Twitter, disclosed his decree to terminate certain soldiers and reassign others within the nation’s defense department. The appointments of new senior military chiefs have been instrumental in solidifying leadership, with figures such as Ajeagah Njei Felix, Kamdom Lucas, and Nguema Ondo Bertin Bourger being designated for key roles in the army.
Mr. Biya’s enduring administration, which began in 1982 when he assumed power at 49 years old, has been characterized by both critics and observers as having minimal impact on Cameroon’s economy. Over the past decade, as his health gradually declined due to advanced age, President Biya has largely governed his nation’s approximately 30 million people from his residence in Switzerland.
