The Chief of Staff of RDF Reserve Force, Maj Gen Alex Kagame, on Monday, March 16, welcomed back home 100 soldiers who arrived at Kigali International Airport after completing a humanitarian mission in Jamaica. ALSO READ: RDF officers meet Jamaican military chief The RDF Engineer Contingent spent two months supporting the recovery efforts in the Caribbean nation that was hit by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025. You have exhibited the RDF culture and values, selflessness, vigilance, discipline, and cooperation, Kagame told the soldiers. ALSO READ: How Rwanda, Jamaica relations evolved over the years The military leader said the soldiers' conduct during the mission was commendable. We have not had any issues with you over the two months you spent [in Jamaica], Kagame said. WATCH: 100 Rwanda Defence Force soldiers have returned to Kigali after a 2-month humanitarian assistance mission in Jamaica. They were welcomed home at Kigali International Airport by Maj Gen Alexis Kagame, Reserve Force Chief of Staff, who praised their dedication,... pic.twitter.com/K1tQqKQi77 — Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) (@rbarwanda) March 16, 2026 The RDF Engineer Continent was deployed to Jamaica in mid-January, with Col Moses Kayigamba as their commander. Over two months, the contingent worked alongside engineers from the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) to support recovery efforts, reconstructing 62 houses for affected families. ALSO READ: Rwanda donates $1.2m to Caribbean countries hit by Hurricane Beryl They also constructed classrooms for a school and improved facilities at a home for children with disabilities. The Jamaican military has also commended their contribution. The Jamaica Defence Force and the people of Jamaica are indeed grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support and assistance, JDF Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman said last Thursday after a meeting with the contingent commander and Col Deo Mutabazi, the Defence and Military Adviser to Rwanda’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations and Defence Attache to Jamaica. This was not Rwanda's first humanitarian support to Caribbean nations. In 2024, the Rwandan government donated $1.2 million (over Rwf1.5 billion) to support Grenada, Jamaica, Barbados and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which had been affected by Hurricane Beryl.
