Africa-Press – Rwanda. The Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) has expressed gratitude to soldiers from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) who have completed a two-month humanitarian mission to support recovery efforts in the Caribbean nation.
In a message shared on X on Tuesday, March 17, the JDF thanked the Rwandan contingent for their support in rebuilding communities affected by Hurricane Melissa.
“Thank you and farewell Rwanda,” the JDF wrote, praising the soldiers’ steadfast commitment and support to the Government and people of Jamaica.
The RDF engineers worked alongside Jamaican servicemembers to assist residents in the parishes of Trelawny Parish and Saint James Parish whose homes were damaged by the hurricane.
JDF’s Acting Brigade Commander of the Support Brigade, Alicia Cooper-Nelson, and Acting Commanding Officer of the 1 Engineer Regiment, Carl Clarke, saw off the Rwandan soldiers as they departed the island for their homeland.
During their deployment, the Rwandan engineers joined forces with the JDF to rebuild homes and support affected communities as Jamaica recovered from one of its most severe natural disasters in recent years.
The Jamaican military said the contribution of the RDF reflected the values of unity, work, patriotism, adding that the country would not forget the dedication the soldiers showed during the crisis.
The 100-member RDF Engineer Contingent was deployed to Jamaica in mid-January under the command of Col. Moses Kayigamba.
Over the course of two months, they helped reconstruct 62 houses for families affected by the hurricane. The team also constructed classrooms for a local school and improved facilities at a home for children with disabilities.
The soldiers returned to Kigali on Monday, March 16, where they were welcomed by the Chief of Staff of the RDF Reserve Force, Maj Gen Alex Kagame, who commended them for demonstrating discipline and professionalism throughout the mission.
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