Kigali, 30 April 2011
Air Vice Marshal Ahmed Tijjani Mu’azu, Commandant of Nigeria’s Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), has said African armies have a lot to learn from the Rwanda Defense Forces. He made these remarks after leading a delegation of 30 students from the college to a meeting with President Paul Kagame.
“Our visit to Rwanda is part of the study package in the geo-political studies of these students under the theme ‘Challenges of Disaster Management to the Military of Contemporary African Societies’.The students have gone around the country, seen challenges and learnt a lot from military preparations strategies, ”said the Commandant after the meeting.
He said that the existing partnership between the Rwanda Defense Forces and the Nigerian army is of huge mutual benefit: “Rwanda has first grade officers who are a real reflection of the kind of leadership the RDF has and we want to associate with them. We specifically acknowledge the contribution of the RDF to national integration and rebuilding. All African countries surely have something to learn from Rwanda.”
The Rwanda Chief of Defence Staff, Lt. Gen. Charles Kayonga, said the RDF has a cooperation agreement with the Nigerian army and that since 2000, RDF officers have been going to study at the Armed Forces Commant and Staff College (AFCSC).
Said he: “Some of these officers were here slightly before the 1994 and others were part of the African Union mission then. They are eager to know how President Kagame has effectively managed to bring the country to where it is today.”