Rwandan President Paul Kagame has forcefully rejected the notion that the primary role of an army is to wage wars, declaring that Rwanda’s armed forces do not exist “to create or provoke wars.”
In a powerful address to newly commissioned officers of the Rwanda Defence Force, President Paul Kagame the training of the armed forces, with the country’s past, cannot allow for the tragic history to ever repeat itself.
“There are some who believe that the role of an army is to wage wars. That is a mistake,” President Kagame told the gathered cadets during the Officer Cadets Commissioning Ceremony at the Rwanda Military Academy – Gako.
“The armed forces of our country do not exist to create or provoke wars.
“The history of our country is one where people were killed by fellow citizens, as a result of bad politics, both internally and externally. Children, the elderly, young men and women were asked to choose the weapon of their death.
“When a nation has reached this level of tragedy, it would be unthinkable for us to repeat this history.”
The Rwandan leader reflected on the tragic history of his country, where “people were killed by fellow citizens, as a result of bad politics, both internally and externally.”
He painfully recounted how “children, the elderly, young men and women were asked to choose the weapon of their death.”
“When a nation has reached this level of tragedy, it would be unthinkable for us to repeat this history,” Kagame declared. The training of Rwanda’s armed forces, and the knowledge of this past, must ensure that “our tragic history” never repeats itself.
“That is your responsibility as the armed forces of this country: yours, the elders you are joining today and anyone who will come after you. And you must pursue it with dedication and integrity,” the President told the newly commissioned officers.
Kagame’s remarks underscored Rwanda’s commitment to building a professional, disciplined military force that serves as a bulwark against conflict and violence, rather than an instrument of war.
This philosophy has been a hallmark of Kagame’s leadership, as he has sought to transform Rwanda’s security apparatus into an engine of stability and development.
It is a solemn responsibility that these new officers must now carry forward with unwavering dedication and integrity.
