Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo, a distinguished Ghanaian soldier renowned for his pivotal role in the country's military history and contributions to both national and regional stability, will be laid to rest on Friday, February 7, at the Military Cemetery. He passed away on December 2, 2024, at the age of 85.

According to his family, the burial mass for the esteemed military leader, affectionately known as the "Buffalo Soldier", will be held at St. Catherine Catholic Church in Burma Camp, Accra, on Friday.

The service will begin with a file past from 6:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., followed by the Mass at 9:00 a.m., after which Lieutenant General Quainoo will be laid to rest with full military honours. The funeral rites will continue at the Arakan Officers' Mess in Burma Camp following the burial.

Career highlights

Lieutenant General Quainoo's military career is marked by his exceptional leadership and dedication, earning him a place among Ghana's most distinguished soldiers. He served twice as Army Commander, first in 1979 after the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) coup, which overthrew the Supreme Military Council.

When Ghana returned to constitutional rule in 1981 with the election of Dr Hilla Limann's government, he was replaced. However, following the coup by the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC), he was reappointed as Chief of Army Staff.

He succeeded Flight Lieutenant J.J. Rawlings as Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), serving as Ghana's 22nd CDS from August 25, 1983, to September 22, 1989. During this period, he played a crucial role in stabilising the military amidst a politically turbulent era.

On the international stage, Lieutenant General Quainoo was appointed in 1990 as the first commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), overseeing the intervention in Liberia to help bring an end to the civil war.

Known for his strong stance on military discipline, he is credited with abolishing extravagant initiation and wetting ceremonies in military messes, replacing them with the reaffirmation ceremony.

Lieutenant General Quainoo is survived by his wife, Juliet Flora Quainoo, and their children: Josephine Aba Quainoo, Brenda Esi McGail, Anthony Quainoo, Audrey Asamoah, Ida Antonia Gyan-Bediako, Arnold Ato Quainoo, and Julian Ebow Quainoo.