President Paul Kagame has encouraged the country’s servicemen and women to maintain discipline and close cooperation with the population if it is to effectively contribute to the country’s economic development.

This was revealed yesterday by Defence and Military spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Joseph Nzabamwita, shortly after members of the army’s top brass met the President at the conclusion of their retreat in Kigali.

The officers reviewed the implementation of the army’s five-year defense strategic plan.

"He (President Kagame) sees a strong, disciplined RDF as an important pillar for the country’s development,” Nzabamwita told the media shortly after the meeting with the President.

He said the Head of State called for discipline within the army that would allow them to contribute in the achievement of the country’s Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy (EDPRS2).

The strategy is set to be implemented between 2013 and 2018 and is expected to accelerate the country’s Vision 2020 where Rwanda aspires to be a middle income economy with a $1,240-GDP per capita by the year 2020, up from the current $644.

"We, as the Rwandan army, no longer look at security in terms of military operations only. We look at the country’s security in terms of development. We think poverty and ignorance are the country’s major threats and we need to contribute in bringing solutions,” he said.

Officials in the Ministry of Defence revealed that the army’s retreat examined aspects regarding security, contribution to national development, defense infrastructure development, welfare, recruitment, retirement, defense diplomacy and peacekeeping missions, among others.

Zero tolerance to indiscipline

The Army spokesperson said the RDF sees discipline as being at the centre of its performance and will do everything to maintain it.

He highlighted military courts and social integration among the army’s means of maintaining discipline by calling those who go astray back to order.

"When we are talking about discipline, we are talking about individual discipline. That individual discipline is the one that makes the RDF as a whole. Whoever might become undisciplined to the extent of becoming a criminal, then the RDF has got disciplinary mechanisms to handle that,” Gen. Nzabamwita said.

The RDF has deployed thousands of troops to several peace keeping missions around the world where they have exhibited their high level of discipline and efficiency.