Lt Gen Arnold Quainoo (Rtd) a.k.a. ‘Buffalo Soldier’ passes on

A former Ghanaian military officer, Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo who served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from August 1983 to September 1989 has passed on.

He died on Monday, December 2, 2024 at the 37 Military Hospital.

Lt Gen Arnold Quainoo took over from the late Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings, who was head of state from 1982 to January 6, 1993 and later President of Ghana from January 7 1993 to January 6, 2001.

Lt Gen Arnold Quainoo handed over to Lieutenant General Winston Mensa-Wood.

Commonly referred to as “Buffalo Soldier”, he was also the first commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which intervened in Liberia to help end the civil war.

He also served twice as Army Commander, first in 1979 following the coup-d'état by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), which overthrew the Supreme Military Council (SMC).

He was replaced when the Limann government was elected in 1979.

He was however re-appointed as Chief of Army Staff following the coup by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) and later as General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces.

In 2014, Lt Gen Quainoo (rtd) denied any responsibility for the death of Liberian President Samuel Doe, while serving as commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which intervened in Liberia to help end the civil war.