- Mbaye Cissé replaces Cheikh Wade
General Cheikh Wade was not sent to retirement, but he nevertheless enjoys a golden folding chair. He is replaced by an officer who was among the closest collaborators of the President of the Republic. Among the causes of the shelving of the former Cemga, observers wonder what role Yaw’s press release announcing « consultations with senior defense officers » may have played.
General Mbaye Cissé is the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces (Cemga). The information was given yesterday in a press release by the Minister, Secretary General of the Presidency, Oumar Samba Ba. Previously Chief of Staff of the President of the Republic, General Mbaye Cissé thus replaces « General of the Army Cheikh Wade, called to other functions », less than 72 hours after the « impeccable parade » of April 4 during which the Armies exhibited their firepower.
By becoming Army General, Cheikh Wade becomes the highest-ranking Senegalese officer in the National Army. He joins on this pedestal, his predecessor, General Mamadou Sow, familiarly called « Nogass », who was the first to benefit from this rank before his retirement.
If this concomitant appointment strikes public opinion in this way, it is because it comes at a rather troubled time in the country, where various currents are trying to push the Defense and Security Forces (Fds) to play a role in the field of politics, even when it defends itself.
We have seen the leaders of the Coalition Yewwi askan wi (Yaw) declare that they have given up their political demonstration on Monday, April 3 « after consultations with senior Fds officers ». This had forced the Directorate of Information and Public Relations of the Armed Forces (Dirpa) to produce a press release to ask politicians not to involve the Army in their quarrels. Though that didn’t silence the speculations.
Observers contacted by Le Quotidien want to link the change at the head of the Army to this affair, among others. These specialists believe that if these consultations mentioned in the Yaw press release could have taken place, even concerning a single senior officer, and General Wade did not know about it, he was at fault. And in the very likely case that he was informed, if he decided not to sanction, he put himself in a bad position, hence his dismissal.
It should be noted, however, that State officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, assure that military intelligence is so well informed that no contact between members of the opposition and Army officers could take place without it being known almost in real time. « They even know who is cheating on his wife, and with whom… even if it is private, » they say. A way of making it clear that the opposition statement cannot be the only cause of the sidelining of General Wade, whose bad relations with certain senior officers were an open secret.
What is also notable, in a positive sense, is the meteoric rise of his replacement, General Mbaye Cissé, who rose through the ranks at an unusually rapid pace. In addition to the confidence of his superiors, this above all demonstrates his intrinsic qualities as an officer.
The General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic also informs that « Rear Admiral Oumar Wade, previously Chief of Staff of the Navy, promoted to the rank of Vice-Admiral, is appointed Chief of Staff particular of the President of the Republic ». Another appointment is that of « Rear-Admiral Abdou Sène, previously Defense Advisor to the Prime Minister, appointed Chief of Staff of the National Navy, replacing Vice-Admiral Oumar Wade ».
By Dieynaba KANE – dkane@lequotidien.sn
- Translation by Ndey T. SOSSEH
