Rwanda’s President, Paul Kagame, has made significant changes within the military and intelligence sectors through a major reorganization.
As part of this reshuffle, Juvénal Marizamunda has been appointed as the new defense minister, replacing Maj Gen Albert Murasira, who had held the position since 2018.
The Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) will also witness a change in leadership, with Lt Gen Mubarakh Muganga taking over from Gen Jean Bosco Kazura, who had been in charge since November 2019.
It is noteworthy that simultaneous dismissals of both the defense minister and the army chief are unusual in Rwanda.
No official explanations have been provided for the reshuffle. In previous instances of high-level military changes, President Kagame would occasionally allude to the reasons publicly.
In addition to these appointments, the President has also assigned new individuals to key positions such as the army chief of staff (land forces) and head of military intelligence.
Furthermore, the top commanders responsible for Rwandan troops deployed in Mozambique to combat militant Islamists have been replaced as part of this reorganization.
