Guinea’s strongman Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power last month, has sacked 44 generals and admirals in an apparent purge of the military top brass.

The authorities in the West African country announced late Tuesday, October 12 that 42 generals and two admirals “are required to exercise their right to retirement.”

The reason for the decision was not given.

Among the string of officers is General Sekouba Konate, who briefly ran a transition government before organizing elections in 2010.

The former army chief of staff is also on the list, as is the senior commander of the gendarmerie, a police force that is under the control of the military.

The forced retirements come less than a week after Doumbouya, 37, appointed Mohamed Beavogui as his interim prime minister.

A relative unknown, Beavogui has a background in international development and an untarnished reputation in the cut-throat world of Guinean politics.

Former special forces commander Doumbouya launched a coupon on September 5, ousting elected president Alpha Conde after months of brewing discontent against his government.

Doumbouya defied broad condemnation of the putsch and was sworn in as interim president on October 1.

He has nevertheless promised to restore civilian rule after a transition period of unspecified length and to unite the politically fractious nation of 13 million people.

Conde, 83, first won office in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015. But last year, he pushed through a new constitution enabling him to run for a third term in October 2020.

The move sparked mass demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed. Conde won the election but the political opposition maintained the poll was a sham.