Honouring Rwanda Armed Forces

Recently, on behalf of Rwandans, President Paul Kagame paid tribute to the members of the armed forces. Yet again, the President said that the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) had distinguished themselves in service to the people of Rwanda. His remarks made me wonder whether we, ordinary citizens, honour our servicemen and women as much as we should.It got me thinking, how as a society, we have much to learn from them.Among the most striking things about Rwanda is the relationship between the people and the armed forces on the one hand, and among the armed forces themselves (particularly the army and police). Here I limit myself to the first relationship.Most armies in Africa generally reside in barracks. They earn their keep from waiting for some action in the event that an external aggressor attacks their country. In many cases the enemy simply does not turn up. As a result, men and officers spend their entire careers and retire without ever engaging in what they ought to do best: fight wars.In Rwanda’s case, the idea that soldiers should be consigned and confined to barracks where they eat, sleep, and collect salaries is alien. As salary earners, they are believed to have practical and moral responsibility to give back to the community. Thus the routine mixing between armed forces personnel and their civilian compatriots. Soldiers and policemen have given back to the population in ways that have had a direct impact on the lives of ordinary Rwandans. Indeed, while perceptive observers of Rwanda’s dramatic socioeconomic transformation note the unconventional methods used to deliver tremendous results despite limited resources, hardly anything is mentioned about the important role played by the armed forces.Members of the armed forces have been at the frontline in the anti-malaria, anti-HIV, and anti-GBV campaigns. One can observe uniformed men and women distributing mosquito nets, molding bricks, and building classrooms where they are needed. In this particular instance, they are helping to expand access to education by all Rwanda’s children. Their mobile clinics have treated the most vulnerable people in the most remote parts of the country, offering, for instance, free eye-care services.Anyone who pays attention to their surroundings in Rwanda, especially in Kigali with its ever-growing number of motor vehicles, would have seen traffic police officers braving the scotching afternoon sun to assist little school children and the elderly cross the road, and soldiers under pouring rain as they patrol the streets at night and keep watch while the rest of us snore away.Public confidence in the armed forces has increased as a result of these sacrifices. Their organisations score consistently highest in measures of public confidence. The 2012 Rwanda Governance Score Card placed the Rwanda Defence Forces and Rwanda National Police at 98 per cent and 94.5 per cent, respectively.They are also deployed outside the country. Since 2005, over 1000 Rwandan police officers have served in peace support missions in various troubled areas around the globe: South Sudan, Darfur, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Mali, according to RNP sources. A story carried in these pages pointed out that at least 4,000 Rwandan soldiers are serving under the African Union and United Nations commands in both Sudans, “serving just causes far from home,” as the President pointed out.One can argue that the armed forces are the cornerstone of our national aspirations. Truth be told, they are far ahead on some of the things we aspire for as a society. As we strive to build and strengthen our national identity, the armed forces are emphatically ahead of the rest of us. Their collective focus shows us that professional conduct is more important than one’s ethnic identity. The system of command and control only works effectively when one shows recognition, respect and deference according to either rank or assignment.Clearly, therefore, we have much to learn from the armed forces not only on matters of public service and commitment to the greater good, but also on matters of patriotism and compatriotism.If, as a society, we aspire for values already held by members of our armed forces, it enjoins us to honour them more regularly than we do.The President’s tribute was indeed right and timely. The more I think about it the more I wonder if it isn’t time the government decreed an Armed Forces Day when, as a country, we could take time out to reflect on and celebrate – and for the young ones to emulate – the sacrifices made by the men and women in uniform.

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Honouring Rwanda Armed Forces