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Cameroon, Rwanda Presidents Sack Military Chiefs, Others
Rwandan President Paul Kagame, aged 65, and 90-year-old Cameroonian President Paul Biya have dismissed their military chiefs as a preventive measure against recent power takeovers seen in Niger and Gabon.
According to their official statements, President Kagame removed around 200 military chiefs, including high-ranking generals James Kabarebe, Fred Ibingira, Charles Kayonga, and Frank Mushyo Kamanzi.
Additionally, 83 senior officers, 06 junior officers, and 86 senior non-commissioned officers were retired, along with 678 end-of-contract officers.
Furthermore, 160 officers were discharged on medical grounds. This action follows President Kagame’s reputation for suppressing media and opposition activities.
In Cameroon, Mr. Biya, who primarily resides in Switzerland, is taking no chances with his hold on the country.
He swiftly reorganized the army, air force, and marine officers.
The extensive changes in both Cameroon and Rwanda occurred shortly after the coup in Gabon, where soldiers ousted President Ali Bongo Ondimba and detained him at home.
It’s notable that neither Kagame nor Biya made direct mention of the recent coups in Niger and Gabon in their decisions.
Notably, the soldiers who seized control in Niger in late July are facing sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Despite these measures, the junta has not yielded to pressure to reinstate the democratically elected leadership.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Biya shared a statement on Twitter, revealing that he had enacted a decree to dismiss certain soldiers and reassign others within the nation’s defense department.
The recently appointed senior military leaders for the army encompass figures like Ajeagah Njei Felix, Kamdom Lucas, and Nguema Ondo Bertin Bourger, among others.
In the Cameroon marine division, Edou Essono Serge Durel and Moudio Hervé were among the newly selected officers.
Taking office in 1982 at 49, Mr. Biya has maintained leadership over the nation since. Prior to his presidency, he held the position of prime minister from 1975 to 1982.
Despite his lengthy tenure, critics argue that his administration has not significantly influenced the Cameroonian economy.
In recent years, as his health has declined due to advancing age, Mr. Biya has been residing in his Swiss mansion, using it as a base to govern his country of approximately 30 million people.
The United Nations has raised the alarm over a dramatic surge in attacks on schools worldwide, reporting a 166% increase between 2021 and 2024.
The rise highlights the escalating dangers faced by children in conflict zones.
United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Nada Al-Nashif, revealed the figures during the annual meeting of the UN Human Rights Council on the rights of the child on Monday.
The session, themed “Mainstreaming the Rights of Children in Armed Conflict: Prevention and Protection,” focused on protecting children amid global conflicts.
Al-Nashif noted that the attacks were particularly concentrated in Sudan, Ukraine, the Gaza Strip, Myanmar, and Ethiopia, where children remain among the most vulnerable victims.
“In 2024, armed conflict directly affected nearly one in six children globally—about 470 million children,” she said. “Years of lost education, trauma, and lasting mental scars shape societies for generations. Long after the fighting subsides, children continue to face deadly risks.”
She highlighted Gaza as having the world’s highest number of child amputees per capita, warning that the impact of war goes far beyond immediate violence.
In Lebanon, government figures show that more than 450,000 people were displaced in less than a week, with at least 394 fatalities, including 83 children, during the 2024 conflict with Israel.
Al-Nashif also stressed the disproportionate risks for displaced children, who are more likely to die from disease linked to unsafe water and sanitation than from direct violence.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, a 2025 cholera outbreak killed 340 children, underscoring the long-term consequences of conflict.
She called on states to uphold their international obligations to protect children, insisting that protecting children is “both a legal obligation and a humanitarian moral imperative.”
Also speaking at the council, Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, warned that violence against children continued at extreme levels in 2025.
She urged mainstreaming child protection across peace, security, humanitarian, human rights, and development efforts, emphasizing that children should actively participate in shaping policies designed to safeguard them.
Frazier highlighted her office’s global campaign, “Prove It Matters,” aimed at amplifying children’s voices in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.
The UN report underscores the urgent need for coordinated international action to protect children and ensure their safety in conflict zones worldwide.
Portugal officially inaugurated its new president, Antonio Jose Seguro, on Monday, pledging to bring stability to a nation shaken by political uncertainty and natural disasters.
Seguro, the centre-left candidate, won last month’s presidential run-off against far-right rival Andre Ventura, following weeks of catastrophic storms that killed at least seven people and caused approximately €4 billion ($4.6 billion) in damage.
Speaking at his swearing-in ceremony in Lisbon’s parliament, Seguro emphasized cooperation with the minority right-wing government and vowed to end the country’s “electoral frenzy.”
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“I will do everything I can to put an end to this electoral frenzy,” he said, pointing to the inability of previous governments to complete their terms.
Amid global crises, including conflicts in the Middle East and a more isolationist US approach under President Donald Trump, Seguro stressed the importance of multilateralism.
“The force of law has been replaced by the power of the strongest,” he remarked.
Seguro succeeds Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a conservative who leaves office at 77 after serving two five-year terms.
While the Portuguese presidency is largely ceremonial, Seguro’s leadership signals a commitment to political stability and international engagement.
Nigerians are facing yet another economic blow as petrol prices surge again. The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has raised the gantry price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N1,175 per litre, marking the third increase in just one week.
The latest adjustment, announced to marketers on Monday, follows a temporary suspension of petrol sales at the refinery on Sunday. Diesel, also known as Automotive Gas Oil, has also been revised upwards to N1,620 per litre.
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A senior refinery official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed the hike, noting that it reflects “prevailing market fundamentals and the cost environment we are currently operating in.”
Industry checks show that depot pricing systems have already updated the new rates, signaling an inevitable rise at retail stations.
In some cities, petrol is now being sold at over N1,200 per litre, adding pressure on Nigerian motorists and businesses alike.
This repeated surge comes after earlier increases that pushed gantry prices from N774 to N995 per litre earlier this week.
Experts warn that the hikes are likely to drive up transportation, logistics, and production costs, potentially impacting the prices of goods and services nationwide.
While the Federal Government, through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), is working to secure crude supplies for the refinery via international traders, officials cautioned that this may not immediately reduce prices for consumers.
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