Mutharika changes Malawi army leadership:  Nundwe new commander, General Supuni reassigned 

President Peter Mutharika has changed the leadership of the Malawi Defense Force with immediate effect. Mutharika has appointed Lieutenant General Vincent Nundwe to be the Commander of the Malawi Defense Force and reassigned General Supuni Phiri to become National Security Advisor  just days after junior officers at the barracks asked him to resign.

There has been jubilation in the barracks as the officers expect their concerns to be addressed with the change of command.

Junior MDF soldiers were last week demanding the immediate resignation of Supuni Phiri in what they call maladministration and abuse of office.

The junior army officers said they had since petitioned the authorities at the MDF on their grievances.

“Our UN allowances are always abused. The army commander style of leadership leaves a lot to be desired,” said one junior officer.

Another junior officer said the UN gives the MDF soldiers risk allowances for either working within or outside the country but the money is not given to the soldiers, saying the allowances are abused.

MDF spokesperson Paul Chiphwanya said he had not seen the petition therefore he could not comment.

Secretary to the Office of President and Cabinet Lloyd Muhara confirmed  Supuni Phiri has since been replaced with lieutenant general Vincent Nundwe.

Muhara also says Supuni Phiri has been appointed national security advisor

Senior officers who received the news as said “the military will no longer be the  battle ground  for opposition politicians because they were capitalizing on the discontent of the soldiers.”

The change of command in the Malawi Defense Force is expected to bring sanity.

Soldiers have commended President Mutharika for changing the MDF leadership before things got out of hand.

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