The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on January 14 deployed a contingent of 100 military engineers to Jamaica to support the country’s recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa last year. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: RDF engineer contingent arrives in Jamaica The contingent was welcomed by the Government of Jamaica during a ceremony held on Thursday at the Caribbean Military Academy Headquarters in Kingston. ALSO READ: How Rwanda, Jamaica relations evolved over the years Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Sen Kamina Johnson Smith, expressed gratitude to the Government of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame, and the people of Rwanda for their support, noting that the engineers’ expertise will play a key role in Jamaica’s recovery and long-term resilience efforts. The deployment is being carried out under a bilateral agreement between Rwanda and Jamaica aimed at supporting the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure damaged by natural disasters. Hurricane Melissa struck the Caribbean region in late October 2025, leaving widespread destruction across several countries, with Jamaica suffering the heaviest impact. The disaster triggered a large-scale, multi-agency humanitarian response. What awaits RDF engineers? Speaking on the mission, the RDF Deputy Military Spokesperson, Lt Col Simon Kabera, said: “The hurricane caused destruction of properties, infrastructure, and killed people. “So, it is in that humanitarian effort that RDF is also going to take part to provide support, including constructing infrastructure that was destroyed and other relevant areas.” He explained that the scope of work will be determined in close coordination with the Jamaican government. ALSO READ: What Rwanda's expanding military diplomacy means “It will involve collaboration with the government of Jamaica to know what priorities they have for us to take part in the humanitarian effort.” On the duration of the mission, Kabera said the mandate will depend on the needs identified on the ground. He said the mission is part of RDF’s humanitarian mandate and reflects Rwanda’s commitment to supporting countries affected by disasters. The deployment is RDF’s first humanitarian engineering mission in Jamaica.
