PERHAPS stung by the ongoing military coup d’états’ in parts of West and Central Africa, President Paul Kagame has announced major changes in the security forces.
The changes made by Kagame on Wednesday, August 30 affected high-ranking military personnel.
Kagame retired hundreds of soldiers in a move that followed the promotions of several young soldiers in the country’s security apparatus and the appointments of new generals to head army divisions stationed in different parts of the country.
A statement by the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) showed Kagame had “approved the retirement of a dozen generals, 83 senior officers and six junior officers.”
Kagame also authorised the retirement of 86 senior non-commissioned officers, the statement said. The East African reported that Kagame promoted a general recently sanctioned by the US for having a hand in the conflict in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in what could either be a show of defiance or protestation against the labelling.
Brig-Gen Andrew Nyamvumba was named alongside several other top army officials in new positions. According to the publication, Nyamvumba is now a fingered man after the US Department of Treasury listed him among six people considered warmongers in eastern DRC. Nyamvumba was among those who “helped fuel the conflict in the eastern DRC”.
The US Treasury Department had sanctioned a total of six people from Rwanda and the DRC.
The changes come hours after soldiers grabbed power from President Ali Bongo in Gabon. A statement posted on the 90-year-old head of state’s official Twitter handle showed that he made significant changes in the Ministry of Defence. Biya, who has been Cameroon’s president since 1982, appointed personnel for the internal and external services of the ministry. Before assuming office, Biya served as the prime minister from 1975 to 1982.
