Historical outline 1962.E2.80.931994 Rwandan Defence Forces

the u.s. army s area handbook rwanda, compiled in 1968-9, describes security forces of rwanda in 1969 2,500 strong national guard , national police, 1,200 strong. national guard had been established 2 years before independence , had gained experience repelling small tutsi invasions in 1963 , 1964. under direction of minister of defence, juvénal habyarimana, held function of chief of staff of national guard in mid-1969. @ time composed of headquarters, intervention group (effectively infantry battalion), 5 other rifle companies, , 5 independent rifle platoons.

the forces armées rwandaises (far) national army of rwanda until july 1994, when government collapsed in aftermath of genocide against tutsi , war rwandan patriotic front. far estimated @ 7,000 strong, including approximately 1,200 members of gendarmerie. elite troops included presidential guard, estimated @ between 1,000-1,300 troops, paracommando , reconnaissance units. these 2 units of battalion strength 1994, , counted total of 800 troops.

in response rpf invasion of 1990, 5,000-man far rapidly expanded, french training assistance (as many 1,100 french troops in rwanda @ time), 30,000 1992.

the arusha accords, signed on august 4, 1993, laid out detailed plan integration of rwandan government , rwandan patriotic front military forces. rwandan government provide 60% of troops new integrated army, have share command positions rpf down level of battalion. new army consist of no more 19,000 soldiers , 6,000 gendarmerie. radical elements within rwandan government implacably opposed implementation of accords and, instead, began planning lay foundations genocide.

the reconnaissance battalion s commander, françois-xavier nzuwonemeye, , subordinates played key role during genocide. reconnaissance battalion, paracommando battalion under major aloys ntabakuze , presidential guard under major protais mpiranya became 3 significant genocidare units.

col. marcel gatsinzi briefly named chief of staff of armed forces april 6 april 16, 1994, replaced augustin bizimungu, promoted major general, since col. gatsinzi opposed genocide. bizimungu briefly chief of staff before fleeing country. many soldiers of far have since been implicated international criminal tribunal rwanda in genocide, including leader during genocide, col. théoneste bagosora, chief of cabinet (private office) of ministry of defence prior genocide. other top leaders in far implicated in assassination of rwandan president, juvénal habyarimana, sparked genocide.

many elements of former rwandan regime, including soldiers of far, fled eastern zaire after rpf victory, formed rassemblement démocratique pour le rwanda (rdr), later became democratic forces liberation of rwanda (fdlr), still active in eastern congo s north kivu province.