Rwanda and Cameroon have revealed significant changes in their security forces, impacting senior military personnel.
In Rwanda, President Paul Kagame retired numerous soldiers, coinciding with the advancement of young soldiers within the nation’s security framework. New generals have also been designated to lead army divisions located across the country.
The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) issued a statement revealing Kagame’s endorsement 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 left service as their contracts concluded, with 160 others medically discharged.
Key figures from Rwanda’s 1994 liberation war, including Gen. James Kabarebe, Gen. Fred Ibingira, and Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga, are among those retiring. Both Kabarebe and Kayonga formerly held the position of chief of defense staff of the Rwandan army.
On the same day, Kagame promoted several young officers to the rank of colonel and appointed new generals to lead military divisions. Other retirees include Lt. Gen. Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, presently Rwanda’s ambassador to Russia, and Maj. Gen. Albert Murasira, a former defense minister.
In June, Kagame designated Juvenal Marizamunda as the new defense minister, succeeding Albert Murasira, who had served in 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.