Indonesia has officially appointed a new defence minister following the inauguration of Prabowo Subianto as the country’s eighth president. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin has taken on the role as part of President Prabowo’s newly announced cabinet, which includes 109 members.
Sjafrie, a former Lieutenant General in the Indonesian Army, has a long history with the military, having served from 1974 until 2010 in the special operations command known as KOPASSUS. His friendship with President Prabowo dates back to their early training at the Tidar Valley Military Academy. Sjafrie is recognized for his involvement in various military operations throughout East Timor, Aceh, and Papua.
Before his current appointment, Sjafrie served as Special Assistant to the Minister of Defence for Defence Management under Prabowo since December 2019. He also held the position of Deputy Defence Minister during the sixth presidency and was the commander of the Presidential Security Force (PASPAMPRES) in the second presidency.
