Rwanda Defence Force
The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF, Kinyarwanda: Ingabo z'u Rwanda, French: Forces rwandaises de défense, Swahili: Nguvu ya Ulinzi ya Watu wa Rwanda) is the military of the Republic of Rwanda. The country's armed forces were originally known as the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR), but following the Rwandan Civil War of 1990–1994 and the Rwandan genocide of 1994 against the Tutsi, the victorious Rwandan Patriotic Front (Inkotanyi) created a new organization and named it the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA). Later, it was renamed to its current name.
| Rwanda Defence Force | |
|---|---|
| Kinyarwanda: Ingabo z'u Rwanda French: Forces rwandaises de défense Swahili: Nguvu ya Ulinzi ya Watu wa Rwanda | |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Current form | 1994 |
| Service branches | Rwandan Land Force Rwandan Air Force Rwandan Reserve Force |
| Headquarters | Kigali |
| Website | Official website |
| Leadership | |
| Commander-in-Chief | Paul Kagame |
| Minister of Defence | Juvenal Marizamunda |
| Chief of Defence Staff | General Mubarak Muganga |
| Personnel | |
| Available for military service | 2,625,917 males, age 18–49, 2,608,110 females, age 18–49 |
| Fit for military service | 1,685,066 males, age 18–49, 1,749,580 females, age 18–49 |
| Active personnel | 33,000 |
| Expenditures | |
| Budget | $91 million (2015) |
| Percent of GDP | 1.1% (2015) |
| Related articles | |
| History | Military history of Rwanda Rwandan Civil War Kibeho Massacre First Congo War Second Congo War Six-Day War (2000) Dongo conflict 2009 Eastern Congo offensive Insurgency in Cabo Delgado |
| Ranks | Military ranks of Rwanda |
The Rwanda Defence Force’s mission as provided in the Constitution of Rwanda is:
- to defend the territorial integrity and the national sovereignty of the Republic;
- to collaborate with other security organs in safe-guarding public order and enforcement of law;
- to participate in humanitarian activities in case of disasters;
- to contribute to the development of the country;
- to participate in international peace-keeping missions, humanitarian assistance and training.
After it conquered the country in July 1994 in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide of April to July 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) decided to split into a political division (which retained the RPF name) and a military division, which would serve as the official army of the Rwandan state.
Defence spending continues to represent an important share of the national budget, largely due to continuing security problems along Rwanda's frontiers with the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, and lingering concerns about Uganda's intentions towards its former ally.
There is an ongoing, low-level insurgency from Rwandan rebels based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mainly the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (or FDLR).
The RDF is regularly deployed in peacekeeping missions in Africa. Rwanda is now one of the largest contributors of personnel on UN missions.