E Guinea army chief-of-staff fired: Presidency

AFP  |  Malabo 

chief-of-staff, who was only appointed to the post in October, has been sacked by the president, state television has reported.

Obiang, 76, seized power in the small former Spanish colony in 1979 and has faced a string of coup attempts during nearly four decades in office.

In January he fired four senior regime officials, including his grandson, on suspicion of collusion with a foiled December 2017 "coup".

Critics accuse him of brutal repression of opponents as well as election fraud and corruption.

Oyana's deputy, Lamberto Nguema Micha, has replaced him.

He had only been appointed to the post on October 12, on Several other officers promoted on the same day have now also been demoted, military sources told AFP.

Among those promoted in October was the son of the president, Teodorin Nguema Obiang, vice with responsibility for defence and security, and several other members of the presidential family, said the same sources.

He was not among those demoted along with Oyana, said the military sources. was promoted from directly to division general, without passing through the normal intermediary rank of brigade general.

A in October 2017 convicted the president's son of looting public funds from his country to fund his playboy lifestyle in and handed down a suspended fine of 30 million euros and a suspended three-year jail term.

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First Published: Fri, December 07 2018. 22:25 IST