New Malawi president sacks army chiefs

26 June 2014 defenceWeb (Reuters)

New Malawian President Peter Mutharika sacked his army chief on Wednesday without giving any reason for dismissing a commander instrumental in ensuring a smooth transfer of power after the death of Mutharika's brother in office in 2012.

A presidential statement said army chief General Henry Odillo and his deputy, Major-General John Msonthi, had been replaced with immediate effect. It gave no further details.

Odillo and Msonthi, both former diplomats, became embroiled in a constitutional crisis that blew up in April 2012 in the landlocked southern African nation after the sudden death of President Bingu wa Mutharika.

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