President Peter Mutharika has fired Commander of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) General Vincent Nundwe and has shaken up the military.
Nundwe has been replaced with Major General Peter Andrew Lapken Namathanga who has also been promoted to the rank of full General.
The Malawi leader has also fired Deputy Commander of the Malawi Defence Force, Lieutenant General Clement Namangale. He has replaced Namangale with Major General Davis Sesatino Mtachi who has also been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-General.
Mutharika has further appointed Brigadier General Elias Mpaso as Army Commander (Land Forces) and Brigadier General Ian Macleod Chirwa as Air Force Commander while Brigadier Francis Blessings Kakhuta-Banda remains Maritime Force Commander but has been promoted to the rank of Major General.
Mpaso and Chirwa have also been promoted to the rank of Major General.
In other appointments, Colonel Harrison Kandula is now Air Force Deputy Commander while Colonel Desmond Chawanda has been appointed Deputy Army Commander (Land Forces).
According to a statement from the Office of President and Cabinet (OPC), the appointments and promotions are with immediate effect.
The OPC has further said that General Nundwe (Rtd) and Lieutenant General Clement Namangale (Rtd) will be assigned other duties in the Public Service.
The shakeup in the military comes after Mutharika ordered the MDF to use force against protesters who plan to March to the State House on March 25.
