Paul Kagame is cleaning up his military

On Friday, August 30, Rwanda announced a new round of layoffs in the military. President Paul Kagame fired more than 200 soldiers, mostly junior officers.

Among the senior officers concerned, we find Major General Martin Nzallamba, former commander of the Nasho training center, and Colonel Etienne Uwimana, director of the Kanombe Military Hospital. The latter is accused of corruption and serious violations of military ethics, respectively. The spokesman for the armed forces said that these measures demonstrate a firm desire to maintain the highest standards of military institutions.

Tensions are high between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo

The wave of dismissals is part of a series of in-depth reforms in recent years aimed at rooting out corruption and strengthening discipline in the ranks. The decision was made in the very specific context of tensions between the two sides. Rwanda and its neighbor, the Democratic Republic of the Congo: two neighboring countries in central Africa.

Relations between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo have long been characterized by tension, conflict and mutual distrust. These tensions are often deeply rooted in past events, including the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the subsequent war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. One of the main friction points is the Congolese rebel group “M23”, which Kinshasa often accuses of being supported by Kigali.

The source of tension between the two countries

The M23 movement has launched multiple offensives in eastern DRC, sparking tensions between the two countries. Another point of friction is the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR). This is an armed group composed mainly of Rwandan Hutus who fled the country after the genocide and are currently based in eastern DRC. Kigali accuses Kinshasa of not doing enough to disband the group, which it considers a threat to its security.

The DRC’s natural resources, especially mineral resources, are a major source of tension. The two countries accuse each other of wanting to illegally exploit these resources. Past events such as the Rwandan genocide and the Congolese war have left deep trauma and different memories in both countries.