Eastern Province: Rwanda is to set up a reserve force as a way of creating employment opportunities for demobilized soldiers, the Defense Ministry announced Thursday, amid an ongoing deployment of thousands of troops in neighbouring DR Congo.

Army Chief of Staff Lt. General Charles Kayonga said the planned Reserve Force will be comprising officers and men from the regular army with no history of war injuries or any deformity.

The Force will be a supplementary employer to the able-bodied, General Kayonga said at a demobilization function in the Eastern Province.   

After a week of training on how to adapt to civilian life, some 1850 soldiers are to leave the Rwanda Defense Forces – as part of a multi-million dollar World Bank program. Among them include 33 captains, 37 lieutenants, 7 second lieutenants, and some 1743 men.

The project launched in 2001 has seen some 30,000 government soldiers leave the army including its Commander-in-Chief, President Paul Kagame. In total, more than 60,000 ex-combatants are out, also from the former government army – some of whose members are still roaming the forests of DR Congo.

The latest demobilization scheme comes as thousands of Rwandan troops, Congolese and rebels of General Laurent Nkunda are preparing a massive offensive to disarm the FDLR rebels from eastern DRC.     

There are no available specific numbers of the Rwandan army, but according to the Ministry of Finance, up to 54.5Billion Francs ($99million) of the national budget went to Defense spending last year. The total budget was around $1.2Billion.

For 2009, spending is expected to drop to $88million, but will spike up to $96.7million in 2010, according to government estimates. Rwanda earmarks about 3 percent of its GDP to Defense.

The Chief of Staff encouraged those that are leaving the army to form cooperatives through which they could get government funding for any income generating activities they create.

Demobilised Lt Andrew Mutabazi, who spent the better part of his life in the army said he will be able to start his own business.
 
“We humbly request government to put more resources into supporting our colleagues with disability from war”, said Apollinaire Mugiraneza who spoke on behalf demobilized soldiers.

The Rwanda Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission appealed last week to the World Bank and other government bilateral donors for $18million for the Third Phase of the program– in which income generating projects will be developed for about 9500 ex-combatants.

1917 were supposed to be on the demobilization list today but only 1850 appeared. No explanation was given for the difference.

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