President Paul Kagame, the Commander-In-Chief of Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), over the weekend, held his annual meeting with RDF Generals and Senior Officers at the Ministry of Defence headquarters.

On arrival, the Commander-In-Chief inspected a Guard of Honour mounted by officers from the RDF and thereafter addressed Generals and Senior Officers.

One of the key themes addressed by the Head of State was the central role of RDF in promoting, preserving and defending the nation’s identity, according to a statement.

President Kagame emphasised that the individual identity of each member of RDF, refers to their identification through the values, ideals and objectives that have characterised the institution since its inception, and have been the source of RDF’s strength through the many challenges faced over the years.

The Commander-In-Chief further urged the RDF members to put national interests before personal interests.

The President stressed that the knowledge acquired by RDF servicemen and women in various courses abroad should be used to strengthen the force’s achievements, building on its identity and character.

He said that the ultimate aim of every RDF member should remain to be the best one can be, rather than risk losing the sense of direction and identity, which typically happens to those who seek to blindly endorse, other people's choices, agendas and priorities.

The meeting was part of a routine programme of interactions between the President, in his capacity as Commander-In-Chief and senior military officers of RDF.

Present at the meeting was the Minister of Defence.

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