Credit: Jeanpierrekepseu, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Cameroon’s 90-year-old President Paul Biya has made significant changes in the Ministry of Defence following the coup detat in Gabon.
He has appointed new people to man critical internal and external services positions in the Ministry.
Biya has been Cameroon’s President since 1982. Before he became president, he was the Prime Minister of the country from 1975 to 1982.
Among the posts reshuffled were the delegate to the presidency in charge of defence, air force staff, navy, and the police.
Similarly, shortly after the Gabon coup, Rwanda’s defence force (RDF) announced on X (Twitter) that President Paul Kagame approved the retirement of 83 senior officers.
According to the RDF, Kagame also approved the promotion and appointment of some officers to replace the previous office holders.
Meetings between Rwanda’s chief of defence staff, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to Rwanda, and the defence attaché of Cameroon were also held to discuss ways “to enhance defence cooperation between their respective countries”.
The tweet read: “Today, the CDS RDF Lt Gen M Muganga held meetings with HE Hazza AlQahtani, Ambassador of UAE to Rwanda and Colonel JE ACHU, Defence Attaché of Cameroon. They discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation between their respective countries.”
In 2015, Rwanda’s constitution was changed to allow Kagame to remain president until 2034.
Kagame, 65, has been in power since 2000 and is one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents.
