The Rwandan envoy to Tanzania, Maj Gen Charles Karamba, has told The New Times that the two countries are looking at sustaining and improving their cooperation in defence.
Earlier this week, Karamba met with the Tanzanian Minister of Defence and National Service, Innocent Bashungwa in Dar es Salaam, and talked about among other things the bilateral relations and historical link between the two countries, as well as areas of cooperation, including defence.
"We reviewed the status of implementation of our MOU on defence that covers a wide range of issues in the defence sector as well as other defence cooperation matters that we cooperate on under the EAC (East African Community) Defence Protocol where we are both members,” Karamba told The New Times on Thursday.
He added that they talked about how to "how to sustain and improve on our areas of cooperation” in the defence sector.
In the past few years, the two countries have been moving towards more military cooperation. In 2021, the (former) Chief of Defence Forces of Tanzania People's Defence Forces (TPDF), General Venance Mabeyo made an official visit to Rwanda, where he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Defence, Maj General Albert Murasira and thereafter, held bilateral discussions with his counterpart, Gen Jean-Bosco Kazura.
The two countries agreed to cooperate closely in border control and crime prevention, as well as sharing information and intelligence on transnational crimes.
Gen Kazura had also visited Tanzania the same year.
The two countries have also cooperated in terms of knowledge exchange. For instance, in 2019, Rwanda received a delegation of 29 senior officers from the Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Forces (TPDF) Command and Staff College, who came to the country to enhance their perception about security, and regional security issues.
During their visit at RDF Headquarters, the Arusha based Defence College students were briefed on RDF organisation and roles and its different activities which include contribution to national development and peacekeeping operations.
They also visited some RDF institutions including RDF Senior Command and Staff College, Rwanda Military Academy - Gako, ZIGAMA CSS and Military Medical Insurance (MMI).
In 2021, Rwanda and Tanzania signed an MoU on Defence Cooperation on the sidelines of the Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) meeting held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.