Cameroon: President Biya appoints retired Colonel to head Quartier Generale

President Biya has appointed Retired Colonel Donatien Melingui Nouma as head of the military headquarters in Yaounde for a 3 years term. Cameroon Concord gathered that the Biya regime recognized him as a "good soldier" and having "a sense of duty". Colonel Donatien Melingui went on retirement at 58. However, the head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces has the authority to promote retired civil servants including servicemen and women to administrative duties. 

Colonel Melingui started receiving his retirement benefits on December 14, 2015. His kinsman signed a presidential decree on January 4, 2016 appointing him to command Quartier Generale just two weeks after his retirement. Some informed opinions have hinted that Biya intends to have absolute control of the military headquarters to avoid any army intervention in case of anticipated upheavals in the 2018 presidential elections.