Chief of Defence Staff (Rwanda)
| Chief of the Defence Staff | |
|---|---|
| Umugaba Mukuru w’Ingabo z’u Rwanda (Kinyarwanda) | |
 | |
| Rwanda Defence Force | |
| Reports to | Minister of Defence |
| Appointer | the President |
| Formation | April 1992 |
| First holder | Déogratias Nsabimana |
| Website | Official website |
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the highest-ranked officer in the Rwanda Defence Force and is responsible for maintaining control over the branches of the military.
List of officeholders
[edit]Chief of staff (1992–1994)
[edit]| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 | 
|
Major general Déogratias Nsabimana (1945–1994) |
April 1992 | 6 April 1994 † | 2 years | |
| 2 |
|
Colonel Marcel Gatsinzi (born 1948) |
7 April 1994 | 17 April 1994 | 10 days | [1] |
| 3 |
|
Major general Augustin Bizimungu (born 1952) |
17 April 1994 | July 1994 | 2 months | [2][3] |
Chief of defence staff (1994–present)
[edit]| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) |
Term of office | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Took office | Left office | Time in office | ||||
| 1 |
|
Major general Sam Kanyemera |
1994 | 1998 | 3–4 years | [4] |
| 2 | 
|
Lieutenant general Faustin Kayumba Nyamwasa (born 1962) |
1998 | 2002 | 3–4 years | |
| 3 | 
|
General James Kabarebe (born 1959) |
October 2002 | 10 April 2010 | 7 years, 6 months | |
| 4 | 
|
Lieutenant general Charles Kayonga (born 1962) |
13 April 2010 | 23 June 2013 | 3 years, 83 days | [5][6] |
| 5 | 
|
General Patrick Nyamvumba (born 1967) |
23 June 2013 | 4 November 2019 | 6 years, 134 days | [7][6] |
| 6 | 
|
General Jean Bosco Kazura |
4 November 2019 | 5 June 2023 | 3 years, 213 days | [8] |
| 7 |
|
Lieutenant general Mubarak Muganga (born 1967) |
5 June 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 249 days | [9] |
References
[edit]- ^ Guichaoua, André (2015). From War to Genocide: Criminal Politics in Rwanda, 1990–1994. University of Wisconsin Press. pp. 159, 212. ISBN 9780299298203.
- ^ Dallaire, Roméo. "Ch. 11: To Go or To Stay?". Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. pp. 292–293.
- ^ Des Forges, Alison (March 1999). Leave None to Tell the Story: Genocide in Rwanda – Extending the Genocide → Removing Dissenters. New York: Human Rights Watch. ISBN 1-56432-171-1.
- ^ Times Reporter (14 August 2007). "Mukezamfura speaks out on General Kaka". newtimes.co.rw. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
- ^ "President Kagame at Swearing- in of newly appointed Minister of Defense and Military Chiefs – Kigali, 13 April 2010". Paul Kagame. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ a b "Rwanda: Gen. Nyamvumba New Armed Forces Chief". All Africa. The New Times. 23 June 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2025.
- ^ "Leaders". mod.gov.rw. Retrieved Sep 6, 2019.
- ^ Munyaneza, J. (2019) 'General Kazura Replaces General Nyamvumba as Kagame Shakes Up Top Military Brass', The New Times (Kigali), 5 November 2019, <www.newtimes.co.rw/news/gen-kazura-replaces-gen-nyamvumba-kagame-shakes-top-military-brass>
- ^ https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/8055/news/security/marizamunda-is-new-defence-minister-as-gen-muganga-becomes-army-chief