President Paul Kagame has reaffirmed the strength and integrity of Rwanda's Defence and Security Forces, stressing that no external pressure can weaken their resolve.
He was speaking at Kigali Genocide Memorial on Monday, April 7 as Rwanda and the international community marked the 32nd commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi (Kwibuka32).
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President Kagame said that it was the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) that led the campaign to stop the genocide and end it, and that one of their deepest sources of grief was that they could not arrive earlier to save more lives.
He added that this is a simple truth of history, though many today still have reservations about acknowledging it.
Kagame also noted that "the culture and character of today's Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) was forged in those dramatic moments," referring to the intense period of the genocide and its immediate aftermath.
He said this experience shapes how RDF operates today, guiding their conduct in domestic security and in international peace-building missions, where they have earned universal respect.
"Indeed, no sanctions or insult from outside can ever tarnish the honour and integrity of Rwanda's Defence and Security Forces, who are among the finest that can be found anywhere," he added.
"I look forward to raising this matter of sanctions at the highest level to understand the basis for such an injustice."
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The President emphasised that Rwandans fully understand the cost of tolerating extremism, noting that the protection of civilians remains the central principle of the country's security forces.
Attempts to penalise Rwanda for defending itself, Kagame said, only benefit those who threaten the country.
"Even with those noises you hear in the region of people gathering from Europe, from wherever... all of that is just noise. It cannot amount to anything that will happen here of that kind again. It cannot happen. And I'm saying this not just as a person. I'm just saying it because I know every Rwandan, young and old, is as determined and is saying so like I'm saying now to you," Kagame said.
Despite ongoing criticism and attempts to distort Rwanda's history, Kagame said Rwandans will continue to seek the truth, speak out against wrongdoing, and remain vigilant against existing dangers.
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ALSO READ: Kagame warns against genocide denial, historical distortion
Kagame noted that after the genocidal government fell in July 1994, fleeing soldiers and militias took millions of civilians into DR Congo, later forming the FDLR and launching the Abacengezi cross-border insurgency, which killed tens of thousands.
The western border was only fully secured by the late 1990s through the combined efforts of the army and local residents.
"And since then, our defensive measures have been aimed at ensuring that such attacks can never again be made across our borders," he said.
He called on partners and regional actors to support Rwanda in combating extremism rather than imposing punitive measures.
"We owe future generations of Rwandans more than survival. They deserve to inherit a secure, united and bold country and an integrated and confident Africa."
