Former Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu Dies at RSPAD Gatot Soebroto Hospital

Former Defence Minister General (Ret) TNI Ryamizard Ryacudu, who was previously Army Chief of Staff and a candidate for Chief of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, has passed away today. Ryamizard was born on 21 April 1950 and graduated from the Army Military Academy (Akabri Darat) in 1974. His career advanced when he served as Commander of the V/Brawijaya Military Region in 1999, followed by Commander of the Jakarta Military Region (Pangdam Jaya) from 1999 to 2000. The 64-year-old was then appointed Commander of the Army Strategic Command (Pangkostrad) in 2000, serving until 2002. Ryamizard subsequently held the position of Army Chief of Staff until 2005. His name was submitted to the House of Representatives as a candidate for Chief of the Armed Forces, but Marshal Djoko Suyanto was ultimately chosen for the role in 2006. The father of three was once considered as a potential vice-presidential running mate for Joko Widodo, though Jokowi instead partnered with Jusuf Kalla in the 2014 election. During Jokowi’s administration, Ryamizard served as Defence Minister from 2014 to 2019, overseeing the ‘Bela Negara’ national defence initiative. In 2019, while still in office, he was awarded the highest veteran honour by the Indonesian Veterans Legion (LVRI), presented by LVRI Chairman Lieutenant General (Ret) Rais Abin. Later that year, Ryamizard handed over his position to Prabowo Subianto, appointed by President Joko Widodo as Defence Minister; Prabowo has held the role since 2019 until 2024. In 2021, General (Ret) Ryamizard received an Honorary Doctorate in Defence Science for Total War from the Indonesian Defence University, with Defence Minister Prabowo attending the ceremony. The death was confirmed by Brigadier General Rico Ricardo Sirait, Chief of the Defence Ministry’s Information Office, who stated Ryamizard died at 2:03 PM WIB at RSPAD Gatot Soebroto Hospital in Central Jakarta.