PREVIEW
The President has given the defence force a significant clear-out with some officers dismissed for misconduct
A day after holding talks with Rwanda’s military leaders about the country’s security priorities, President Paul Kagame announced a second major purge of military officials in as many years on 30 August, this time sacking over 1,000 military personnel.
Details on the precise reasons for most of the sackings are unclear. However, Major General Martin Nzaramba, Colonel Dr Etienne Uwimana and 19 other officers have been dismissed for misconduct, with Brigadier General Ronald Rwivanga, the spokesperson for the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), telling local media that Nzaramba had been sacked for corruption and mismanagement of funds meant for the welfare of soldiers when he headed the Nasho Basic Military Training Centre.
According to a statement released by the RDF, Kagame also authorised the dismissal or early retirement of 1,162 military personnel of various ranks including General Jean Bosco Kazura, a former Chief of Defence Staff, and longtime ally of Kagame.
This is not the first time that Kagame has stamped his authority on the military with a clear-out.
In June 2023, more than 200 soldiers including several high-ranking officers were dismissed for ‘lack of discipline’, in a purge that also saw the dismissal of the Defence Minister, army Chief of Staff, and land forces Chief of Staff.
Along with its operations in eastern Congo-Kinshasa, the Rwandan armed forces have sought to position themselves as a regional security provider, led by well-funded missions in Central African Republic and Mozambique.
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