The Commander of the French Africa Command, Maj Gen Pascal Ianni, is in Rwanda for a three-day official visit aimed at reinforcing military and security cooperation between Rwanda and France amid evolving security challenges across the African continent.
Maj Gen Ianni’s visit, which runs from 18 to 20 May 2026, comes at a time when both countries are seeking to expand defence partnerships and strengthen collaboration in areas including military training, peacekeeping, regional security and strategic dialogue.
During the visit, the French commander held high-level discussions with Rwanda’s top defence leadership. On Monday, he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Defence, Juvenal Marizamunda, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen MK Mubarakh.
The meetings were followed by a working session at the Directorate General of International Military Cooperation, where officials from both sides discussed ways to deepen bilateral military cooperation between the French Africa Command and the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
The talks focused on shared security priorities in Africa, including counterterrorism, peace support operations, professional military education and capacity building.
Rwanda has increasingly positioned itself as one of Africa’s leading contributors to international peacekeeping operations, while France continues to maintain an active military and diplomatic presence across several regions of the continent.
On 19 May, Maj Gen Ianni visited the RDF Combat Training Centre in Gabiro, one of Rwanda’s principal military training facilities.
The centre plays a critical role in preparing RDF personnel for national defence duties as well as international peacekeeping deployments under the United Nations and regional mechanisms.
Today, the French commander travelled to Musanze District, where he delivered a lecture of opportunity to officers attending the Senior Command and Staff Course.
In his address, he shared the French military’s assessment of the changing security landscape in Africa, highlighting emerging threats such as violent extremism, instability in parts of the Sahel and Great Lakes regions, transnational crime and the growing importance of multinational security cooperation.
The lecture also provided an opportunity for senior RDF officers and other course participants to exchange perspectives on regional security trends, military leadership and contemporary operational challenges facing African armed forces.
Relations between Rwanda and France have steadily improved over the past several years following a period of diplomatic tension linked to historical disagreements over the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Since the restoration of closer diplomatic ties, the two countries have expanded cooperation in multiple sectors, including defence, education, economic investment and cultural exchange.
Military cooperation between Kigali and Paris has increasingly focused on professional exchanges, strategic dialogue and support for regional stability initiatives.
Rwanda’s growing role in peacekeeping missions in countries such as the Central African Republic and Mozambique has also attracted broader international security partnerships, including with European nations.
Maj Gen Ianni’s visit is expected to further strengthen military-to-military relations between the Rwanda Defence Force and the French armed forces while opening new avenues for cooperation in training, operational planning and regional security engagement.
