Just four days after the death of Senator Prince Y. Johnson, Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo, the first commander of the Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), passed away on Monday, December 2, 2024. Lt. Gen. Quainoo, a former Ghanaian military officer, died at the 37 Military Hospital in Ghana.
Known as the “Buffalo Soldier,” Lt. Gen. Quainoo’s military career was marked by historic moments, including his role in Liberia during its devastating civil war. He was the first ECOMOG commander, leading the regional force that intervened in Liberia in the 1990s to restore peace. His tenure coincided with one of the most dramatic events of the war—the capture and execution of Liberian President Samuel K. Doe by rebel leader Prince Johnson at the Freeport of Monrovia.
Lt. Gen. Quainoo consistently denied responsibility for Doe’s death, emphasizing that ECOMOG’s mission was to stabilize Liberia rather than get involved in internal political rivalries. Despite his efforts to distance himself from the incident, the tragedy at the Freeport remains a pivotal moment in the history of ECOMOG’s intervention in Liberia.
Born into a nation experiencing significant political and military changes, Lt. Gen. Quainoo joined the Ghana Armed Forces and rose to prominence due to his leadership and strategic acumen. He served as Ghana’s Chief of Defence Staff from August 1983 to September 1989, succeeding Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings and preceding Lt. Gen. Winston Mensa-Wood.
In 1979, Quainoo briefly served as Army Commander following the coup by the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), which ousted the Supreme Military Council. He was replaced when Ghana transitioned to civilian rule under President Hilla Limann but was later reinstated as Chief of Army Staff after the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) took power.
Beyond his role in ECOMOG, Lt. Gen. Quainoo twice held the position of Army Commander and later served as General Officer Commanding the Ghana Armed Forces. His decades of service earned him respect within Ghana and across the West African subregion.
Lt. Gen. Quainoo’s leadership during ECOMOG’s Liberia mission is perhaps the most discussed aspect of his legacy. As the civil war tore Liberia apart, the regional bloc decided to send a peacekeeping force to prevent further bloodshed and stabilize the country. Quainoo was chosen to lead this historic mission.
However, the early days of ECOMOG’s deployment were fraught with challenges. The complexities of managing a multi-national force in a volatile environment, coupled with conflicting interests among Liberian factions, made Quainoo’s task immensely difficult. The capture and killing of Samuel Doe by Prince Johnson’s forces at the Freeport of Monrovia on September 9, 1990, occurred under his watch, leading to accusations and public scrutiny.
Despite these controversies, Quainoo is credited with laying the groundwork for subsequent peacekeeping efforts in Liberia. His commitment to regional stability underscored his dedication to the mission, even amid immense personal and professional challenges.
Lt. Gen. Quainoo retired from active military service after decades of dedication. In his later years, he occasionally reflected on his experiences, particularly his time in Liberia. In 2014, he reiterated his position that ECOMOG bore no responsibility for Samuel Doe’s death, stating that the situation was beyond their control.
