KIGALI - The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. James Kabarebe yesterday traveled to the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, on an official visit.

RDF Spokesperson Maj. Jill Rutaremara, said that Kabarebe was visiting Sudan at the invitation of the Chief of the Joint Staff (CJS) of the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) 1st Lt. Gen. Muhamed Abdulkader Nasserdin.

"He is expected to meet with other high ranking military and government officials. The CDS will use the opportunity to visit the RDF troops deployed in Khartoum under the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) as well those deployed in Darfur under the United Nations- African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID),” told Rutaremara The New Times.

Gen. Kabarebe is accompanied by top RDF officers who include; Brig. Gen John Bosco Kazura (J3), Brig. Gen. Jacques Musemakweli (J2) and Lt. Col. Peter Kalimba, the head of peace support operations.

Rwanda maintains 3,200 troops deployed in Darfur and 254 others in Khartoum as well as over 70 staff officers and Military Observers (Milobs) serving under UNAMID and UNMIS.

In a move that underlined its commitment to peacekeeping operations worldwide, mid this year, the country posted its first ever Military Attaché to the United Nations (UN), specifically in the UN’s Department of Peace Keeping Operations (DPKO) in New York, USA.

The country is currently the world’s 6th largest peacekeeping troop contributing country.

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