Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Army Chief of Staff Maj Gen Vincent Nyakarundi on August 4 visited the Rwandan peacekeepers operating in the Central African Republic.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Defence, Gen Nyakarundi held discussions with officers, men and women serving under the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and forces operating under the bilateral cooperation framework between Rwanda and CAR at Rwanbatt Headquarters in Socatel M’Poko Base Camp.
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He expressed his gratitude for their exceptional efforts in ensuring the protection of the local population, and updated them on the overall security situation in the region.
Nyakarundi commended the Rwandan peacekeepers for their dedication, emphasising that their contribution to the protection of civilians and their properties in CAR was remarkable, added the statement.
He encouraged them to continue carrying out their duties professionally to execute the UN mandate and the existing bilateral cooperation agreements between Rwanda and CAR.
Rwanda first deployed troops to CAR in January 2014 and the country now has more than 2,000 soldiers serving in CAR under the UN peacekeeping mission. They protect civilians, the country’s top leaders including President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, UN personel and equipment, as well as strategic national facilities and areas including M’Poko International Airport.
Besides the peacekeepers serving under the UN peacekeeping mission, on December 20, 2020, Kigali deployed force protection troops to CAR under a bilateral agreement on defence, in response to the targeting of the RDF contingent serving under MINUSCA by a militia coalition intent on overthrowing the government.
There are 1,200 Rwandan special forces in the country under the bilateral agreement. Their tasks include restoring peace and security, securing Bangui and its surroundings, ensuring peoples freedom of movement, as well as securing the residence of the President at Damara - a region in the prefecture of Ombella-M'Poko, located just about an hour from the capital, Bangui.