{"id":55364,"date":"2025-08-26T11:08:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-26T11:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/president-kagame-urges-security-personnel-to-defend-rwanda-with-discipline\/"},"modified":"2025-08-27T17:27:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T17:27:53","slug":"president-kagame-urges-security-personnel-to-defend-rwanda-with-discipline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/president-kagame-urges-security-personnel-to-defend-rwanda-with-discipline\/","title":{"rendered":"President Kagame urges security personnel to defend Rwanda with discipline, precision and resolve"},"content":{"rendered":"

Addressing more than 6,000 soldiers, police officers, and prison officers at the Gabiro combat training centre in Eastern Province on Monday, August 25, 2025, Kagame praised their hard work and sacrifice, calling it essential to Rwanda\u2019s continued strength. <\/p>\n

He reminded them that Rwanda\u2019s history, marked by both tragedy and resilience, has proven one key lesson: Rwanda will never disappear.<\/p>\n

Kagame dismissed those who act as though they \u201ccreated\u201d Rwanda, stressing that external assistance can only complement, but never replace, Rwandans\u2019 own efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis means that we, as a people, chart our own path and sustain ourselves. Even when support comes from outside, it should only add to what we already have \u2014 it can never replace it. It cannot take away the right we hold over who we are. It simply complements our own efforts, and for that, we may indeed thank those who provide it,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

The President underscored the duty of the RDF to shield citizens from \u201cpredators\u201d who try to seize what belongs to them. He noted that every three to five years Rwanda faces new external threats\u2014not because it provokes others, but because hostility is imposed upon it.<\/p>\n

Kagame said that Rwanda never provokes others; however, whenever a threat arises against the country, its army must be present and ready to fight.<\/p>\n

He said, \u201cAnd fighting means there will be deaths and injuries, but the objective is not to kill or to wound \u2014 except when others refuse to understand Rwanda, do not care for it, and instead wage war against it. That is when the profession fulfills its true duty. At that point, war must be fought.\u201d<\/p>\n

The head of State reminded the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) that whenever it becomes necessary to enter a war, it must be a guiding principle that they prevail. War, he said, cannot be fought with hesitation or pity, but must be carried through to the end \u2014 until Rwanda\u2019s enemies regret ever having started it.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/figure>\n

Those who wish Rwanda harm have often threatened to attack, to overthrow the existing leadership, and to install whoever they please, deciding who should live and who should die.<\/p>\n

President Kagame cautioned: \u201cWe must always remain prepared, because we do not know where an enemy may come from, nor when they may choose to strike.\u201d<\/p>\n

{{What it takes to confront Rwanda\u2019s enemies}} <\/p>\n

President Kagame emphasized that confronting those who seek to harm Rwanda requires much of its citizens. It begins with a clear understanding of one\u2019s responsibilities, working with diligence and commitment even in difficult times, and joining efforts with fellow Rwandans.<\/p>\n

He added that this must be reinforced by discipline, which ensures that individuals remain attentive to their duties and committed to fulfilling them.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/figure>\n

The President further stressed that once Rwandan soldiers acquire knowledge, they must put it into practice by mastering the use of equipment in confronting the enemy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it is about using a gun, you must learn to use it properly so that you can shoot the enemy \u2014 the one who has brought war against you. It is not simply about pulling the trigger and firing bullets at random. That is not fighting,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kagame continued: \u201cEvery bullet must carry the name of its intended target. When you aim, it must hit. If you shoot once, twice, three times without striking the target, then there is a problem \u2014 either with your training or with you.\u201d<\/p>\n

He noted that if a soldier wastes ten bullets just to hit a single target, sustaining such a war would be impossible because ammunition is costly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome ammunition is expensive nowadays. There are projectiles that can cost up to $3,000 or even $5,000 each. If you are meant to hit a target in the sky and you miss once at $5,000, then again at $5,000, and again \u2014 that\u2019s already $15,000 wasted. How can you fight a war like that? Where will those resources come from? In that case, you are only helping the enemy,\u201d Kagame said.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n

President Kagame urged the Rwanda Defence Force to master precision and make effective use of the equipment available to them, rather than relying on superstition. <\/p>\n

He warned that hesitation or misplaced beliefs could cost lives: \u201cIf someone convinces you that unseen forces will guide your bullet, what they are really doing is preparing the coffin you\u2019ll be buried in.\u201d<\/p>\n

He reminded the soldiers that failing to fulfill their duty not only endangers their own lives but also those they are tasked with protecting, handing them over to the enemy.<\/p>\n

Kagame further noted that while some people attack Rwanda without reason, there are others with whom Rwanda has genuine, unresolved grievances \u2014 such as the Interahamwe militia that devastated the nation during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou often hear about the FDLR and their supporters \u2014 with them, we truly have unfinished business. But their backers are simply enemies creating problems for us. They are the ones who openly declare, without any shame, that they intend to harm us,\u201d Kagame said.<\/p>\n

{{Double standards}}<\/p>\n

Kagame cautioned against those who distort Rwanda\u2019s past, particularly attempts to deny or rewrite the truth about the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. <\/p>\n

He recalled how, even at the UN, some denied a genocide was happening, portraying it instead as \u201cRwandans killing each other\u201d to cover up the international community\u2019s complicity.<\/p>\n

On eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Kagame noted that while the M23 movement has restored stability in areas it controls, Rwanda is unfairly blamed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not that the facts are different, but powerful countries and some media insist on portraying the problem as if it were M23, AFC, or RDF. If RDF were really there, what they claim is not what RDF would be doing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He questioned why RDF is vilified while groups like the FDLR and Wazalendo, which kill Congolese civilians, are sanitized.<\/p>\n

{{Rwanda\u2019s contribution to global peace}}<\/p>\n

Kagame emphasized that Rwanda has not only focused on defending itself but has also supported peace efforts in countries including Mozambique, the Central African Republic and South Sudan<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in eastern Congo, if they had sought our support, we would have provided it. […] If they want us to work together to maintain security on both sides, that has always been our goal.\u201d<\/p>\n

{{Countering false narratives}} <\/p>\n

President Kagame urged members of the security forces to actively counter those who defame Rwanda, particularly on social media, stressing that no one should be exempt from being challenged.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they fail and instead resort to war, then you respond with force. But do not tire yourselves with unnecessary worry. Rwanda will never go out to provoke wars in other countries. We are not aggressors \u2014 but we are fighters. Whether we fight or not depends on where the war comes from, how it begins, and what it means for us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

He further reminded the security organs that fulfilling their duties effectively also requires taking care of their own well-being, supported by the country\u2019s leadership structures.<\/p>\n

\"President<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Addressing more than 6,000 soldiers, police officers, and prison officers at the Gabiro combat training centre in Eastern Province on Monday, August 25, 2025, Kagame praised their hard work and sacrifice, calling it essential to Rwanda\u2019s continued strength. He reminded them that Rwanda\u2019s history, marked by both tragedy and resilience, has proven one key lesson: […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":62,"featured_media":2000093111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-55364","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000093111,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gznqc2zwgaafbho-a35de_1_.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gznqc2zwgaafbho-a35de_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gznqc2zwgaafbho-a35de_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gznqc2zwgaafbho-a35de_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gznqc2zwgaafbho-a35de_1_.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/gznqc2zwgaafbho-a35de_1_.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/62"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55364"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55364\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000093111"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55364"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55364"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55364"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=55364"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=55364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}