President Paul Kagame has urged members of security organs to renew their pledge and to prove themselves trustworthy by continuing to work diligently. In his end of year message, Kagame who is also the Commander in Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), conveyed his appreciation to officers and other ranks of the RDF as well as members of other security organs. “I wish to convey to you my appreciation for your dedication and commitment in fulfilling your various mission of defending and protecting the people of Rwanda in 2021, a period characterized by a wide range of challenges at home and abroad,” the President said in a statement released on December 30. The Head of State said that despite the many challenges, including the pandemic, they met and exceeded the expectations with unwavering diligence, selflessness, and professionalism. Specifically to those serving abroad through bilateral arrangements or in peacekeeping missions, Kagame commended their sacrifice for peace and stability on the continent, saying that being away from loved ones during the festive season is a special way of expressing their commitment. Rwanda continues to be among the major contributing nation in UN peacekeeping missions. In July, at the request of the government of Mozambique, Rwanda deployed a 1,000-person contingent of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to Cabo Delgado, a Mozambican province that was being seriously affected by terrorism and insecurity. Since then, working together with the Mozambican forces, the RDF has successfully fought against the insurgents, eliminating them from key territories of the province. Rwanda has three battalions plus a Level II Hospital deployed under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic, after an additional deployment of an Infantry Battalion of 750 military personnel in August. Internally, the RNP and Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) arrested, In October, 13 persons linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) who were allegedly planning to conduct terror attacks in Kigali. The suspects said to have wanted to avenge the Rwandan armed forces intervention against the terror group in Mozambique, are currently being tried. On that account, the Commander in Chief charged them to continue working diligently to fully deserve the trust placed in them by Rwandans and allies. “Strive to preserve the values we stand for and to uphold the resolute spirit that defines us as Rwandans and as people,” he said.
