Arnold Quainoo

Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo was a Ghanaian former military officer and served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from August 1983 to September 1989.^[1] He took over from Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings and handed over to Lieutenant General Winston Mensa-Wood.^[1]

Arnold Quainoo
Nickname(s)	Buffalo Soldier
Born	20th century Ghana
Died	2 December 2024
Allegiance	Ghana
Branch	Army
Rank	Lieutenant General
Commands	Chief of the Defence Staff ECOMOG Commander Chief of Army Staff

Career

He was the first commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) which intervened in Liberia to help end the civil war.^[2]

He served twice as Army Commander, first in 1979 following the coup-d'état by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council which overthrew the Supreme Military Council. He was replaced when the Limann government was elected. He was re-appointed as Chief of Army Staff following the coup by the Provisional National Defence Council^[3] and later as General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces.^[4]

In 2014, Quainoo denied any responsibility for the death of Liberian President Samuel Doe.^[5]

Quainoo died at the 37 Military Hospital in Accra on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the age of 82.^[6]