On Saturday, November 27, the Rwandan security forces deployed in Mozambique’s Northern Province of Cabo Delgado introduced community work, or Umuganda as it is known in Rwanda, in Palma District.  Umuganda, one of Rwanda’s home grown solutions that explain why the country is one of the cleanest in the world, is mainly done on the last Saturday of every month from, 08:00 to 11:00.

Almost similar to the Kenyan Swahili word, Harambee, which means coming together to build a nation, in traditional Rwandan culture, community members called upon their family, friends and neighbours to help complete tasks such as building a house. This traditional cultural initiative was refined and revived and, today, it is not only transforming Rwandan cities and communities but even those overseas are benefiting from the rare export.

On November 27, Rwandan millitary and Police officers, together with the local population and authorities as well as the Mozambican security forces, cleaned the streets of Palma town, for four hours in the morning.

Besides cleaning the town, the exercise which attracted 4,000 Palma residents was also meant to bridge the gap between the population and the leaders at different levels, as part of the on-going stabilisation efforts.

Twenty seven years after stopping the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the country’s security forces, continue to embrace the importance of value-based leadership in the protection of civilians and development of the nation. They know what it takes to achieve sustainable peace and reconciliation in nations that were traumatised by violent conflict.

And they are ever more than able, and willing, to lend a hand, when requested. From Bangui, to Maputo, and all the way up north to Juba, among other places, Rwandan security forces are doing an outstanding job keeping the peace as well as spearheading Kigali's continental security diplomacy.

On July 16, Rwandan peacekeepers (Rwanda Battle Group III and Rwanda Medical Contingent VI) serving under the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) were decorated with UN medals in recognition of their contribution to maintaining peace and stability during their one year tour of duty in Central African Republic, Sector East, Bria.

At the ceremony, the MINUSCA Force Commander, Lieutenant General Daniel Sidiki Traoré of Burkina Faso, thanked Rwandan peacekeepers for their effort in bringing back peace in CAR as well as providing medical support to the UN mission.

He told them: “You are awarded medals because you deserve them. Rwanda Battle group has done an outstanding job in peace keeping as well as providing medical services to peace keepers and the public during their tour of duty.”

The two Rwandan contingents operated in a very tense environment since their arrival in the mission area with the escalation of activities by armed groups. But they managed to carry out their role of ensuring sustainable health protection of forces as well as protecting civilians in conflict zones. At the time, Rwanda maintained two Infantry Battalions, a Mechanized Battle Group and a Level II Hospital in support of peacekeeping operations in CAR. In early August, Rwanda deployed an additional Infantry Battalion of 750 military personnel to MINUSCA.

With that deployment, the country then had three battalions in addition to a Level II Hospital deployed under MINUSCA. While briefing these troops, the Army Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Mubarakh Muganga, urged them to maintain discipline and observe RDF values. He told them that their colleagues had already done a good job in the mission area and that they should strive to perform even better. The new contingent arrived in Bangui knowing their task was to secure the main supply route connecting Bangui to the border with Cameroon.

Wherever they operate from, Rwandan peacekeepers are always reminded that the Peacekeeping is a constitutional task, as it is deeply rooted in the commitment to “Never Again”, the Right to Protect and Kigali Principles for the Protection of Civilians.

Hundreds of miles away from Bria, a ceremony was held at Tomping base camp, Juba, South Sudan, on July 28, where Rwandan peacekeepers (Rwanbatt-1) serving under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were also decorated with medals for their contribution to peace keeping in the country. The ceremony in Juba was presided over by the UNMISS Deputy Force commander, Major General Main Ullah Chowdhury of Bangladesh who appreciated Rwandan peacekeepers “noble service to the people of South Sudan.”

“Rwandan troops have demonstrated capability to adapt to the changing nature of operations. I also emphasize the role of female peacekeepers which is commendable,’’ said Gen Chowdhury.

Rwanbatt-1 conducted numerous operations on daily basis that involve: security patrols and protection of civilians including rescue operations; protection of national and international humanitarian actors, conducted various CIMIC activities in support of the local population.

When, on September 7, Gen Traoré visited Rwandan peacekeepers at their headquarters, at M’Poko Base camp in Bangui, to assess their readiness in accomplishing their tasks in the country, he again applauded them for their commitment in restoration of peace and security in CAR. He as well urged them to maintain their professionalism and remain resolute in the enforcement of the MINUSCA mandate. The Rwandan contingent in the CAR capital has one clear mission – creating and maintaining a secure environment in Bangui, ensuring the protection of civilians and providing security to the President of CAR and the First family, as well as facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance and protection of UN Personnel.

But they do more than that. In collaboration with Bangui City leadership and the local population, they often conduct community work in areas of the city, such as the 5th and 6th Arrondissement. The community work aims at sharing the practice of 'Umuganda' as one of the homegrown solutions aimed at uniting people and helping the community protect their environment. In Rwanda, soldiers have a culture of providing free treatment in pediatrics, gynecology, internal medicine, general medicine, ophthalmology and dental, among others.

On September 7, their activities in Bangui included cleaning and offering medical services – including medical screening for non-communicable diseases such as blood pressure, obesity, and other diseases such as malaria where rapid tests were performed, and treatment provided to those who were positive – at Marché Miskin in 5th Arrondissement and Marché Petevo in the 6th Arrondissement.

The Mayor of Bangui, Emile Gros Raymand Nakombo, thanked Rwandan peacekeepers for their support in protecting civilians and participating in cleaning and protecting their environment.  “The community work conducted today, is a lesson borrowed from Rwanda and will contribute to our country’s development,” he said.

In April, President Faustin Archange Touadera awarded the Rwandan peace keepers with the Central African Recognition Medal for their contribution to the peace effort in CAR. During the ceremony at the Palais de la Renaissance, the office of the President, the CAR Head of State said: “I would particularly like to pay tribute to the courage of Rwandan peacekeepers and MINUSCA in general who have fulfilled their duty to the point of supreme sacrifice for the cause of peace. The population of CAR recognizes the efforts made to restore peace and security in our country.”

In UN peacekeeping operations, today, Rwanda is among the top five biggest troop-contributing countries in the world, with over 5,000 RDF peacekeepers deployed in South Sudan and in the Central African Republic. But Kigali has not only done a noble job while serving under the UN flag. On December 20, last year, the Government of Rwanda deployed force protection troops to CAR, under a bilateral agreement on defense.

The deployment was in response to the targeting of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) contingent under the UN Peacekeeping force by rebels supported by François Bozize, leader of a rebel coalition – the Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC) – which had launched an offensive threatening to march on the capital Bangui, in what the government described as an attempted coup. But the rebels’ progress was halted by Rwandan troops who also secured the CAR’s presidential election on December 27, 2020. A  Rwandan peacekeeper in CAR was killed following an attack on January 13, by Bozize’s coalition.

But Rwandan peacekeepers were not daunted. They remain committed to the protection of civilians within the mandate of MINUSCA, and the other peacekeeping missions where they serve.

Giving Cabo Delgado hope

In October 2017, armed extremists linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) launched an insurgency in Cabo Delgado Province, Mozambique. They launched attacks, and in August 2020 seized Mocimboa da Praia, a key port city that they turned into their main headquarters.

More than 50 people were beheaded by terrorists in the province in April 2020 and a similar number in November 2020. On March 24, the militants seized Palma, murdering dozens of civilians displacing more than 35,000 of the town's 75,000 residents.

Early July, Rwanda, at the request of Mozambique, deployed a 1,000-person contingent of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) and the Rwanda National Police (RNP) to Cabo Delgado. The Joint Force was dispatched to work closely with Mozambique Armed Defence Forces (FADM) and forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in designated sectors of responsibility.

 

The Rwandan contingent was to support efforts to restore Mozambican state authority by conducting combat and security operations, as well as stabilization and security-sector reform (SSR). As they left Kigali, the RDF Army Chief of Staff, Lt Gen Mubarakh Muganga, reminded them to uphold RDF values that include honour, patriotism, valour, and integrity.

“Be always guided by the RDF values and discipline, have team spirit, and safeguard the good image of Rwanda by performing well,” said Lt Gen Muganga. Their deployment was based on the good bilateral relations between Rwanda and Mozambique, following the signing of several agreements between the two countries in 2018, and is grounded in Rwanda’s commitment to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and the 2015 Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians.

On August 8, Rwandan and Mozambican forces captured Mocimboa da Praia, dealing a heavy blow to the insurgents who had driven more than 800,000 people from their homes and killed more than 2,000 others in the Province. The joint forces dislodged the terror groups from a number of towns including their main bases in Mocimboa da Praia and other localities that include Awasse, Palma, Quionga, Chinda, Mbau, Mapalanganha, Tete, Njama, and Quelimane.

On September 24, President Paul Kagame visited the troops in Mozambique and applauded the work they had done. “The work done hasn’t been easy,” Kagame, clad in military uniform along with his Mozambican counterpart, Filipe Nyusi, told a joint parade of Rwandan and Mozambican forces.

“We now have another task which is to continue rebuilding and protecting this country. The President and people of Mozambique are at the forefront of this and will inform us how long our mandate here should be.” “You sacrificed and endured days and nights in the scorching sun, heavy rains.”

Nyusi too expressed gratitude to the Rwandan forces. He said: “They are real heroes. Our citizens are forever grateful for the kind of service these soldiers have shown and for liberating them from rebels who had taken over Cabo Delgado.” “The Rwandan soldiers have shown immense respect to our citizens. They are loved and respected. Our soldiers are forever indebted to you and we look forward to continuing rebuilding the lives of our citizens for the better.”