The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Senegal, Gen Mbaye Cissé, along with his delegation, on May 6 2024, visited Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Headquarters, where he pledged greater security cooperation between the two armies. For over decades now, Rwanda and Senegal have shared strong military bonds and corporations in combating terrorism.
General Staff of the Armed Forces of Senegal, Gen Mbaye Cissé was welcomed by RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Mubarakh Muganga, according to a statement from RDF, which noted that Cissé also extended a courtesy call to the Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, before receiving a briefing on RDF’s transformation journey and regional security dynamics.He highlighted the significance of his visit within the framework of the longstanding friendship and collaboration between Rwanda and Senegal. He underscored the historical ties forged through years of cooperation between the RDF and the Senegalese armed forces.
This afternoon’s visit was devoted to the Ministry of Defense and the Chief of General Staff of the Rwandan army. The visit is part of the friendly relations and cooperation between Rwanda and Senegal.
Gen Mbaye Cissé, General Staff of the Armed Forces – Senegal
The RDF statement pointed out that the Senegalese army has registered experience in peacekeeping missions, including their involvement in fighting to stop killings during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
We come with a historical link that we have together; today has been an opportunity not only to evoke his memory but also to evoke the future, which is the cooperation that we are going to have with the Rwandan armed forces. In the field of training, we’ve already taken small steps, which we’re going to amplify, probably in the field of training in peacekeeping operations, but also and above all in perspective, we’re going to extend cooperation in all other fields, by signing a protocol of agreement and cooperation between the two countries, which we’ll soon be finalizing.
Gen Mbaye Cissé, General Staff of the Armed Forces – Senegal
In March 2024, Senegal’s former President, Macky Sall, inaugurated a statue in the country’s capital, Dakar, in memory of Capt Mbaye Diagne, a Senegalese peacekeeper killed in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Diagne, who served in the then United Nations mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) in 1994, is celebrated for risking his life by confronting Interahamwe militia in defense of Tutsi men and women who were running for their lives during the massacres.
