Lt Gen (Rtd) Romeo Dallaire is in Rwanda to discuss and conclude a Memorandum of Understanding between the Dallaire Initiative Organisation and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on combating the problematic of recruitment and use of Child Soldiers.
On 12 May 2016 Gen Dallaire paid a courtesy call on Hon Minister of Defence, Gen James Kabarebe along with the RDF Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Patrick Nyamvumba, at RDF Headquarters, Kimihurura.
Gen Dallaire is the founder of the Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, a non-profit organisation that strives for eradicating the recruitment and use of Child Soldiers in armed conflicts. The Rtd Gen was accompanied by the Dallaire Initiative’ Executive Director, Dr Shelly Whitman.
Gen Dallaire explained to Minister Kabarebe and Gen Nyamvumba what the envisaged partnership is meant for.
He pointed out that his organization earmarked and chose RDF as a partner mainly due to its internationally well-known professionalism, in particular in Peace Keeping Operations across the globe.
Minister Kabarebe expressed deep gratitude to Gen Dallaire for the initiative. He assured him that the RDF is more than willing to collaborate with the Dallaire Initiative to achieve the shared objective.
In this regards, Gen Kabarebe noted that protecting and preventing children from being used in armed conflicts falls under RDF doctrine of protecting every time innocent civilians.
MoD
UM– USEKE.RW
