DAKAR, Dec 10 (The African Portal) – President Bassirou Diomaye Faye has appointed Vice Admiral Oumar Wade as Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, replacing General Mbaye Cisse.
Wade’s appointment was made by presidential decree signed on December 1, 2025.
This decision will take effect on February 12, 2026, the date on which the current Chief of the General Staff will reach the age limit for active service, reports Sud Quotidien.
According to the same decree, Major General Philippe Henry Alfred Dia was appointed Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, while General Cheikhou Camara was promoted to Chief of Staff to the President.
The reshuffle confirms President Faye’s desire in his capacity as Commander in Chief of the Armed to reorganise the senior military hierarchy, with a focus on continuity and efficiency.
The newspaper EnQuête (private) specifies that Vice Admiral Oumar Wade previously held the position of Chief of Staff to the President, a role he had held for six months.
He succeeds General Mbaye Cisse, who was appointed to this position on April 10, 2023, following
the departure of General Cheikh Wade, who had led the General Staff of the Armed Forces from March 2021 to April 2023.
Soon to be transferred to the reserve of the General Staff, General Mbaye Cisse will be remembered for his leadership of the armed forces, characterised by a focus on modernisation and operational discipline.
Last October, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General by presidential decree, a distinction recognising his commitment and exemplary career.
The new Chief of the General Staff, Wade, is a senior officer with a rich and varied career, having
held several positions of responsibility within the armed forces.
Appointed Chief of Staff of the Senegalese Navy on March 1, 2020, he succeeded Rear Admiral Momar Diagne, before being called to the High Authority for the Coordination of Maritime Security, Maritime Safety, and the Protection of the Marine Environment (HASSMAR), where he served as Secretary General for thirteen months.
Vice Admiral Wade also chaired the National Border Management Commission, a role that allowed him to acquire solid experience in inter-institutional coordination and territorial defense policy. Le
Soleil (State-owned daily) notes that he is the first naval officer to head the Senegalese Armed Forces, a significant development in the country’s military history.
A graduate of the Saint-Louis Military Academy, like his predecessor Mbaye Cisse, Oumar Wade also attended the National Military Academy of La Fleche in France, which trains future officers for the prestigious military academies.
His career exemplifies a path of rigor, discipline, and competence recognized both nationally and
internationally.
The arrival of Vice Admiral Wade at the head of the armed forces marks a symbolic step towards a more integrated management of the various military components, notably the navy, the air force, and the land forces, within a demanding sub-regional security backdrop.
Senegal, engaged in several peacekeeping missions, seeks to strengthen its defensive posture in the face of cross-border threats and growing maritime challenges. By entrusting the command of the armed forces to an officer from the navy, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye reaffirms his ambition to modernize the national military apparatus, diversify strategic capabilities, and consolidate the country’s sovereignty over its entire territory, both land and sea.
Credit: RNK/Sf/fss/as/APA
