Forty-five senior military officers from Rwanda and nine other countries on Friday graduated from RDF Command and Staff College in Musanze District.

The officers were drawn from 10 countries namely; Czech Republic, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia and all hold ranks from Major to Lieutenant Colonel.

The graduates have been undergoing a year-long course in analytical and communication skills, personal and collective values, as well as professional military knowledge designed to help them in their future command and leadership management responsibilities, according to Maj. Gen Jean Bosco Kazura, the college Commandant. 

The graduates underwent various courses under a partnership framework that exists between the military college and University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS).

"RDF is pleased and proud to graduate another group of officers with with the ability to think critically while tackling challenges to arrive at well thought-out solutions, and outline those solutions with clarity, conciseness and insight, an important requirement in today’s unpredictable and volatile security environment,” said Maj Gen Kazura.

"The graduating officers are prepared to face some of the most difficult periods in the life of their countries in adaptive and innovative ways and they are ready to play the role that their countries expected of them.”

Twenty-nine among them received a master’s degree in security studies from the University of Rwanda.

While officiating at the graduation ceremony, Defence Minister, Gen James Kabarebe said he was sure that the graduates realised that they have the capacity to overcome whatever challenges they face in their profession.

He added that the training was an opportunity for the trainees to not only recharge intellectually but also reassess themselves and their respective militaries.

"I believe that your studies here have equipped you with the necessary analytical, planning and communication skills to deal with the contemporary complex security challenges,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda, Prof Phillip Cotton, urged the fresh graduates to use the acquired knowledge to help transform their respective countries and the world at large.

Maj Claver Batunzi, from Rwanda Defence Force, was named the best performer overall, while Lt Col Luke Kamanga, from Malawi Defence Force, wrote the best research paper, with Maj. Costern Herny Mwemba, from Zambian Defence Force, emerging the second best performer overall, who also manifested good leadership qualities.

"Whatever I learnt here will help me deal with security challenges back home and elsewhere I may be deployed in the future,” Maj. Mwemba told The New Times.

Since its inauguration in July 2012, the RDF Command and Staff College has trained 228 officers from 45 countries.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw