President Paul Kagame yesterday commended Rwandan men and women in uniform serving in the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) for their bravery and dedication.

The President explained that Rwanda Defence Forces’ determination and skills mean that no enemy can defeat Rwanda.

The Head of State, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the RDF, delivered the message shortly after joining RDF’s combined arms field training exercise at the Rwanda Defence Forces  Combat Training Centre in Gabiro, Eastern Province.

The exercise concluded the final phase of the annual combined arms field training exercise codenamed "Exercise Hard Punch III/2018”.

Held after an afternoon drizzle, the event was marked by a demonstration on how different military capabilities are integrated and synchronised during a military operation at Infantry Division level.

Kagame told the troops that having good skills and dedication for their work will help them to continue being a successful army.

"In the world we live in today, bravery and dedication are not enough but they are the foundation. You have to seek knowledge and do your job to the best of your ability. That is what makes a qualified army,” he said.

The annual exercise is aimed at perfecting drills that are necessary for efficient employment, harbouring, occupation of positions, movement of Division troops and equipment as well as cooperation of all arms in any military operation.

This year’s exercise is the third edition of the annual field training exercise conducted in Gabiro.

At yesterday’s meeting, Kagame urged the army to maintain its efficient use of resources.

"Every bullet you shoot counts. Every resource you use must accomplish its purpose. We do not have room to waste resources. We have to deliver results beyond the resources we have,” he said.

He praised members of the army for efficiently using resources and accepting to be paid less than their work is worthy of.

"When we look at salaries or other resources, we know that even though you deserve to be given more, we do not have enough means. We also have to spend the little we have on education, health and on delivering development to our citizens,” he said.

He added: "You work under the sun, the rain, in the middle of forests and different environments, and we ask ourselves whether what we give you is enough. The answer is that it can never be enough because this job goes beyond the individual, it is for the nation”.

The President said that the army’s current capability and discipline can never allow Rwanda to be defeated by its enemies.

"Nothing is impossible as long as we have the right mindset and values. Our enemies can only wish us ill but they will never be able to defeat us. Anyone who dares to threaten our security will fail,” he said.

The ‘hard punch’ exercise is conducted every year and trains one brigade from a chosen RDF division among those deployed across the country.

This year’s edition of the training was completed by the third division deployed in Western Province.

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