The Rwandan Defence Force (RDF, , , ) is the military of Rwanda. Prior to 1994, Rwanda's military was officially known as the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), but following the Rwandan Civil War and the genocide against Tutsi, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) renamed it the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), which was the military wing of the RPF. In late 1994, the military was rebuilt and reorganized as the Rwandan Defence Force (RDF).
The RDF is organized into three service branches: Rwandan Land Force, Rwandan Air Force and Rwandan Reserve Force. After the RPF conquered the country in July 1994 in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide, the RPF decided to reform solely as Rwanda's ruling political party and separate from its military wing, where the latter would serve as the country's official military.
Defence spending continues to represent an important share of the national budget, largely due to continuing security problems along Rwanda's frontiers with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, and lingering concerns about Uganda's intentions towards its former ally.
The RDF has been engaged in a low-level insurgency from Rwandan rebels based in eastern Congo, primarily the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), since the late 1990s. The RDF is regularly deployed in peacekeeping missions in Africa, as Rwanda is currently one of the largest contributors of personnel on UN missions.
Independence and early history (1960–1994)
While Rwanda was a Belgian colony administered as a part of Ruanda-Urundi, its security was provided by the Force Publique, the colonial army of the Belgian Congo. As the Congo was due to achieve independence in 1960 and withdraw its forces, the Belgian Special Resident decided to create an indigenous army to provide for Rwanda's security. On 19 May 1960, he ordered the recruitment of a 650-strong military force to become the Garde Territoriale. The force was later renamed the Garde Nationale. The U.S. Army's Area Handbook for Rwanda, compiled in 1968–9, describes the security forces of Rwanda in 1969 as the 2,500 strong National Guard and the National Police, about 1,200 strong.Richard F,. Nyrop, 'Area Handbook for Rwanda,' DA 550-84, research completed 1 April 1969, p.184-185
The Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) was the national army of Rwanda until July 1994, when the government collapsed in the aftermath of the Genocide against the Tutsi and the war with the Rwandan Patriotic Front. The FAR was estimated at 7,000 strong, including approximately 1,200 members of the Gendarmerie. Elite troops included the Presidential Guard, estimated at between 1,000 and 1,300 troops, as well as the Paracommando and Reconnaissance units.Des Forges, 1999, p.43 These two units were of battalion strength by 1994, and then counted a total of 800 troops.Des Forges, 1999, p.194
In response to the RPF invasion of 1990, the 5,000-man FAR rapidly expanded, with French training assistance (as many as 1,100 French troops were in Rwanda at a timePrunier, The Rwanda Crisis, p.163, cited in Des Forges, 1999, p.118), to some 30,000 by 1992.Alison Des Forges, 'Leave None to Tell the Story,' Human Rights Watch, March 1999, , p.60
The Arusha Accords, signed on 4 August 1993, laid out a detailed plan for the integration of the Rwandan Government and Rwandan Patriotic Front military forces.See Arusha Accords, hosted at University of Ulster, pages 49–71 The Rwandan government was to provide 60% of the troops for the new integrated army, but would have to share command positions with the RPF down to the level of battalion. The new army was to consist of no more than 19,000 soldiers and 6,000 Gendarmerie.Des Forges, 1999, p.124-125 However radical elements within the Rwandan government were implacably opposed to implementation of the Accords and, instead, began the planning that would lay the foundations for the genocide.
The Reconnaissance Battalion's commander, François-Xavier Nzuwonemeye, and his subordinates played a key role during the genocide. Together with the Reconnaissance Battalion, the Paracommando Battalion under Major Aloys Ntabakuze and the Presidential Guard under Major Protais Mpiranya became the three most significant genocidare units.
Col. Marcel Gatsinzi was briefly named chief of staff of the Rwandan army from 6 to 16 April 1994, but was replaced by Augustin Bizimungu, who was also promoted to major general on 18 April, since Col. Gatsinzi opposed the genocide.Des Forges, 1999, p. 264 Bizimungu was only briefly chief of staff before fleeing the country. Many soldiers of the FAR have since been implicated by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in the genocide, including its leader during the genocide, Col. Théoneste Bagosora, who was chief of the cabinet (private office) of the Ministry of Defence prior to the genocide.
Many elements of the former Rwandan regime, including soldiers of the FAR, fled to eastern Zaire after the RPF victory, where they formed the Rassemblement Démocratique pour le Rwanda (RDR), which later became the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which is still active in eastern Congo's North Kivu Province.
Post-1994 operations
First Congo War (1996–1997)
Second Congo War (1998–2003)
Circa 2000 during the Second Congo War, the Rwanda Patriotic Army unofficially admitted to having 4,000 to 8,000 troops deployed in the Congo, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit, but this was believed to be a substantial understatement. The International Crisis Group estimated that the RPA had between 17,000 and 25,000 troops deployed in the Congo. In April 2001, a United Nations report on the exploitation of the Congo, said the RPA had a minimum of 25,000 troops in the Congo, an estimate the report attributes to "military specialists with a great deal of experience in the region."United Nations Security Council, Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, S/2001/357, 12 April 2001 During the deployment in the DRC, Rwandan forces fought the so-called "Six-Day War" against Ugandan forces over the city of Kisangani, leaving at least 1,000 dead.
On 17 September 2002, the first Rwandan soldiers were withdrawn from the eastern DRC. On 5 October Rwanda announced the completion of its withdrawal; MONUC confirmed the departure of over 20,000 Rwandan soldiers.
Ongoing insurgency There is an ongoing, low-level insurgency from Rwandan rebels based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; mainly the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (or FDLR)'Militia Leader Wanted for War Crimes Killed in Congo', Voice of America (Washington, DC), 19 September 2019. During early 2009 the RDF operated in eastern DRC against FDLR rebels in joint operations with the armed forces of the DRC. The initial 2009 deployment was code-named Operation Umoja Wetu. The RDF re-entered the DRC in 2009 to assist the DRC in putting down the Dongo Rebellion. These operations inside the DRC did not prevent cross-border attacks within Rwanda during late 2012, August 2013, December 2018 and December 2019.
There has also been a small number of attacks in southern Rwanda from Burundi-based rebels. These attacks are usually blamed on the National Forces of Liberation (Forces nationales de libération), or FNL.Munyaneza, James (2 October 2020). "Victims of MRCD-FLN attacks in southern Rwanda". 'The New Times', Kigali. Retrieved 18 February 2021 The FNL is the armed wing of an externally-based opposition party: the Rwandan Movement for Democratic Change, or MRCD, which was formed by Paul Rusesabagina and Callixte Nsabimana. Rusesabagina is considered by some to be a hero of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and his actions are portrayed in the Hollywood film 'Hotel Rwanda'. Rusesabagina and Nsabimana were kidnapped and flown to Kigali, where they were arrested, in September 2020, Rusesabagina was sentenced to 25 years but was later released in 2023 by presidential decree.
The Rwanda National Congress is another opposition group reported by the Kigali Government as carrying out attacks in Rwanda.Kleinfeld, P. (2019) In Eastern Congo, a Local Conflict Flares as Regional Tensions Rise, The New Humanitarian (Geneva), 28 October 2019.Karuhanga, J. (2019) 'A Glimpse at Anti-Rwanda Militia Groups in Eastern DR Congo', The New Times (Kigali), 10 December 2019. These include blame for grenade attacks in Rwanda between 2010 and 2014 that killed at least 17 people and injured over 400 others.Bishumba, N. (2019) 'Ugandans, Burundians Among Captured RNC Militia Combatants', The New Times (Kigali), 2 October 2019.
Mozambique On 9 July 2021, a 1000-strong joint Rwandan military police force started deploying to northern Mozambique to assist the national security forces in combating Islamic extremists.Karuhanga, J. (2021) 'Rwanda Deployment to Mozambique Mission Specific, Not Time Specific – RDF', The New Times (Kigali), 10 July 2021.Vieira, A. (2021) 'Rwandan Troops Arrive in Mozambique to Help Fight Insurgents', The Nation (Nairobi), 11 July 2021.'Rwandan Forces Will Only Leave When Mission Is Over,' Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo), 12 July 2021. The Joint Task Force was commanded by Maj. Gen. Innocent Kabandana and initially comprised 700 soldiers and 300 police.'Rwandan Forces Will Only Leave When Mission Is Over', Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique (Maputo), 12 July 2021. The Rwandan deployment to Mozambique under a bilateral agreement pre-empted a long-planned Southern African Development Council (SADC) military operation.'SADC to Deploy Troops in Mozambique', The Herald (Harare), 24 June 2021.
The Joint Task Force was soon in action and within the month was reported to have overrun a terrorist base and inflicted casualties.Mangwiro, C. (2021) 'Govt Says Influx of African Troops Will Target Cabo Delgado Insurgents', Voice of America (Washington, DC), 30 July 2021. In August 2021 it was reported that the contingent had eliminated 14 insurgents in total. The port town of Mocimboa da Praia was then recaptured from insurgents.'Cabo Delgado – a Closer Look at Rwanda-Mozambican Forces’ Joint Operations', The New Times (Kigali), 16 August 2021.
Operations then became more scattered across the northern province, and President Kagame announced in February 2022 that 80% of the enemy occupied Cabo Delgado province had been recaptured since mid-2021.'Security Problems in DR Congo Affect the Whole Region – Kagame', The New Times (Kigali), 8 February 2022. At this time the Rwandan Joint Task Force was commanded by Brig. Gen. P. Muhizi.'RWANDA SECURITY FORCES (RSF) AND FORÇAS ARMADAS DE DEFENSA DE MOÇAMBIQUE (FADM) DISMANTLE NEW TERRORIST HIDEOUTS', Ministry of Defence, Kigali, 14 February 2022
The Joint Task Force was reported to have increased to 2,500 personnel in December 2022 and, in January 2023, the commander was Maj. Gen. Eugene Nkubito.
On 4 August 2023, there was a change of command when Maj. Gen. Alexis Kagame assumed command of the Joint Task Force from Maj. Gen Eugene Nkubito and the Task Force Battle Group (TFBG) commander Brig. Gen. F. Mutembe handed over to Col. T. Bahizi, the incoming TFBG 3 Commander.Ministry of Defence, Kigali, website, 31 July 2023, "RDF ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF SEES OFF RELIEF FORCE DEPARTING TO CABO DELGADO, MOZAMBIQUE"Ministry of Defence, Kigali, website, 4 August 2023, "MAJ GEN ALEX KAGAME TAKES OVER THE JOINT TASK FORCE COMMAND IN MOZAMBIQUE"
Peacekeeping support operations The RDF has deployed forces on a number of UN and AU-endorsed peacekeeping support operations in Africa. Rwanda is now one of the largest contributors of personnel on UN missions. Deployments include the following:
African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS): Units were deployed on year-long tours of duty between August 2004 and December 2007. The peak commitment was four battalions.