The delegate to the presidency in charge of defence, air force staff, navy, and the police are among the posts that were reshuffled.
Biya came to power in a coup d’etat in 1982. His early years in the saddle were marred by reports of oppression and human rights violations.
He later allowed multiparty elections in the country, but the 90-year-old has remained president since he came to power.
Shortly after the Gabon coup, Rwanda’s defence force (RDF) also announced that President Paul Kagame approved the retirement of 83 senior officers.
In an announcement on X, the RDF said Kagame also approved the promotion and appointment of some officers to replace the previous office holders.
Meetings between Rwanda’s chief of defence staff, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ambassador to Rwanda, and the defence attaché of Cameroon were also held to discuss ways “to enhance defence cooperation between their respective countries”.
In 2015, Rwanda’s constitution was changed to allow Kagame to remain president until 2034.
The 65-year-old has been in power since 2000 and is one of Africa’s longest-serving presidents.
The decisions of Kagame and Biya to reshuffle their militaries came a few hours after soldiers staged a coup in Gabon, bringing to an abrupt end the 53-year hold on the throne by President Ali Bongo’s family.
Bongo had just been re-elected to a third term in office in the Central African nation. The opposition had described the electoral process as “fraudulent”.
