Brig. Gen. Sjafrie to replace Sutiyoso as military chief

JAKARTA (JP): As predicted, Jakarta Military Chief of Staff Brig. Gen. Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin will replace his superior, Maj. Gen. Sutiyoso, as the new Jakarta Military commander.

Armed Forces (ABRI) spokesman Brig. Gen. A. Wahab Mokodongan confirmed Sjafrie's promotion yesterday.

"Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung issued a decree for Sjafrie's promotion on Tuesday. The decree will be effective beginning Monday," Wahab said.

Sjafrie, a 1974 graduate of the National Military Academy, will replace Sutiyoso, who was elected Jakarta governor by city councilors on the same day Sjafrie's promotion was announced.

Sutiyoso secured 82.67 percent of the vote, or 62 out of 75 votes in Tuesday's election. Armed Forces legislator Achmadi came second with eight votes, and Tb.M. Rais, the city's incumbent deputy governor of economic and development affairs, came third with five votes.

If approved by President Soeharto, Sutiyoso will be installed as Jakarta's eighth governor on Oct. 6.

Asked about the date of the transfer-of-duty ceremony for the new Jakarta military chief, Wahab said it would be held before the installment ceremony of the Jakarta governor.

According to Wahab, Sjafrie will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, currently deputy to ABRI's assistant to the sociopolitical affairs chief.

Silalahi will be replaced by Col. Yahya Sacawirya from ABRI's sociopolitical department.

Born in Ujungpandang on Oct. 30, 1952, Sjafrie spent most of his military career, from 1975 until 1991, at the elite Army's Special Force (Kopassus).

He was appointed chief of the Presidential Guard Corps' Group A in 1993, chief of the Bogor Military Command in the following year, and then deputy chief of the Jakarta Garrison in 1995 before he was appointed chief of staff at the Jakarta Military Command on Aug. 14, last year.

He has been involved in a series of military operations in Aceh, East Timor and Irian Jaya.

He was involved in the Nanggala operation in East Timor in 1976, the Nanggala operation in Aceh in the following year, the Candraqa operation in East Timor in 1984, the Maleo operation in Irian Jaya in 1987 and the 86th Task Force operation in East Timor in 1990.

Sjafrie also participated in a series of military exercises at both local and international institutions.

He was trained in basic Special Force tactics in 1975, intelligence in 1977; underwent Air Borne training in 1977, 1981 and 1983; attended an advanced military course in 1985, antiterrorism training in 1986; strategic intelligence also in 1986 and the Army Staff and Command School (Seskoad) in 1988.

Sjafrie is also one of the few high-ranking military officials who had formal university education. He got a master's degree in business administration in 1993. (imn)