Rwanda: Senegalese Army Chief Pledges Greater Security Cooperation With RDF

7 May 2024
The New Times (Kigali)
By Emmanuel Ntirenganya

The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Senegal, Gen Mbaye Cissé, along with his delegation, on May 6, visited Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Headquarters, where he pledged greater security cooperation between the two armies.

He was welcomed by RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Mubarakh Muganga, according to a statement from RDF, which noted that Cissé also extended a courtesy call to the Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, before receiving a briefing on RDF's transformation journey and regional security dynamics.

Addressing the media after the meeting, Cissé highlighted the significance of his visit within the framework of the longstanding friendship and collaboration between Rwanda and Senegal. He underscored the historical ties forged through years of cooperation between the RDF and the Senegalese armed forces.

The RDF statement pointed out that the Senegalese army has registered experience in peacekeeping missions, including their involvement in fighting to stop killings during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

"Future collaboration with the Rwanda Defence Force will primarily focus on training. We are currently in the initial stages of planning trainings in peace support operations. However, our overarching goal is to expand cooperation into various other domains by formalising protocols of understanding and collaboration between our two nations, which we anticipate finalizing soon," Cissé said.

Earlier in the day, the Senegalese army chief paid homage to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi at Kigali Genocide Memorial, and later visited the Campaign Against Genocide Museum in Kimihurura, Kigali.

In March, Senegal's former President, Macky Sall, inaugurated a statue in the country's capital, Dakar, in memory of Capt Mbaye Diagne, a Senegalese peacekeeper killed in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Diagne, who served in the then United Nations mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) in 1994, is celebrated for risking his life by confronting Interahamwe militia in defence of Tutsi men and women who were running for their lives during the massacres.

During the 2010 liberation day celebrations, in Kigali, Diagne was posthumously awarded the Umurinzi, Rwanda's campaign against the Genocide medal, by President Paul Kagame, for his courage in saving lives during the Genocide.

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