By Olivier Nduhungirehe

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Three decades ago, Rwanda was a nation in desperate need of peacekeepers.

Today, it is the second largest contributor to global peace missions. Rwanda has transitioned from a country in need of peace to one that helps provide peace to others, as evidenced by extensive involvement in United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) peacekeeping missions, as well as its bilateral military cooperation with African countries.

This August, Rwanda marks 20 years since its first deployment in a peacekeeping mission, in what has become one of Rwanda’s foreign policy pillars.

With an approach that goes beyond securing international personnel or infrastructure, Rwandan peacekeepers provide comprehensive support to maintain peace, mitigate the risk of conflict re-emergence, and improve the lives of local communities.

This conscious policy choice is drawn from our recent history, where well-armed peacekeepers abandoned civilians in the face of grave danger. It also enabled by Rwandan’s efforts over the years to build a professional and disciplined army and police. Rwandan peacekeepers are called to prioritise civilian protection, guided by the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and the Kigali Principles on the Protection of Civilians.

When the crisis began in Darfur in 2003, many referred to what was unfolding as “another Rwanda”. In 2004, ten years after a Genocide had unfolded at home, the AU and UN approached Rwanda for assistance, and the country agreed to send troops. Rwandan forces were sent to protect AU observers under the UN mission, helping to stabilize a region where over 10,000 people had been killed and millions displaced.

Similarly in 2010, Haiti was devastated by one of the worst earthquakes in history, resulting in over 300,000 deaths and massive displacement, Rwanda responded by sending a Police contingent. For nine years, until the mission ended in 2019, Rwandan peacekeepers performed various duties, including patrolling, escorting, providing humanitarian assistance, and protecting key installations and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps.

In addition, they managed public order, protected UN delegates, and offered emergency services to the local population. Rwandan police has carried similar missions elsewhere including Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.

In 2012, following South Sudan's declaration of independence the UN created a stabilisation force and invited Rwanda to contribute troops to this new mission.  Two years later, in response to the crisis unfolding in the Central African Republic (CAR), the UN Security Council authorized the deployment of a multidimensional peacekeeping operation – Minusca.

Additionally, under bilateral cooperation, Rwanda deployed troops to CAR in December 2020 to safeguard the capital city, Bangui, against rebels during a crucial election period. Since then, Rwanda has continued to support CAR in maintaining peace and contributing to the reform of its security sector.

More recently in 2021, Mozambique faced a severe crisis when heavily armed fighters linked to the ISIS attacked security forces, displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians and occupied the Cabo Delgado region. Rwanda, under a bilateral agreement, deployed forces at Mozambique's request to restore order.

Within weeks, Rwandan and Mozambican forces stabilized occupied territory, and civilians were able to return safely to their homes.

In all these deployments, Rwandan forces bring more than just security to the areas they operate in. They introduce solidarity initiatives like Umuganda, a community service practice where people clean their neighbourhoods and later hold meetings to discuss issues affecting their communities.

In Darfur and South Sudan for example, Rwandan troops (a significant part of which is composed of women) addressed women's safety by introducing cooking stoves that reduce the need for firewood, minimising the risk of attacks while fetching wood.

Rwanda’s evolution from recipient to provider of peace and security demonstrates that through resilience, political will and cooperation, peace can be achieved anywhere. In today’s increasingly fractured context, the world must work together more to address common security challenges.

Our country knows all too well what happens when nations choose to turn a blind eye to civilian suffering and insecurity. Rwanda remains ready to always do what we can, within our means, to ensure that the horrors of our past are never repeated, either at home or abroad.