Rwandan army chief vists peacekeepers in South Sudan

The Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Army Chief of Staff (ACOS), Maj Gen Vincent Nyakarundi on Tuesday, April 30, visited Rwandan peacekeepers serving under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Nyakarundi who is in South Sudan for a four-day working visit visited the peacekeepers at the UN Thongping Base Camp, in the South Sudan capital, Juba.

Earlier, on Monday, he met with the UNMISS Special Representative of the Secretary General, Nicholas Haysom, and discussed the Rwandan contingent’s performance in UNMISS. On Tuesday, he also met with the Chief of Defence Forces of the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces, Gen Santino Deng Wol. The two discussed ways of strengthening the existing bilateral military cooperation between South Sudan and Rwanda Defence Forces. Nyakarundi also met with Rwandan peacekeepers at the UN Thongping Base Camp and was received by the senior national representative in South Sudan, contingent commanders as well as senior staff who briefed him on the current security situation in their area of responsibility before meeting the troops.

The ACOS conveyed a message from HE Paul Kagame, the President of the Republic of Rwanda and Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force and the entire RDF leadership thanking them for fulfilling their tasks with professionalism and discipline in mission area, reads part of an RDF statement about the visit. He also briefed the troops, it is noted, on the current security situation in Rwanda and in the region. He urged the force to maintain discipline and professionalism and be good ambassadors of their country.

During his visit, Nyakarundi is also expected to meet with Rwandan troops deployed in Malakal in the north of the country as well as the UNMISS Force Commander as part of his schedule. Currently, Rwanda maintains three battalions and an aviation unit deployed in Juba, Durupi, Torit, Malakal, and Bunji, all in support of UNMISS.