Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has appointed a new defense minister, army chief, and head of internal security after firing several high-ranking military officials as part of a sweeping reshuffle of the country's security apparatus, the presidency said in a statement.
The president appointed Juvenal Marizamunda, previously the commissioner-general of the Rwanda Correctional Service, as minister of defense. Marizamunda replaced Albert Murasira, who had served in the post since 2018.
Kagame also changed the chief of defense staff, naming Mubarakh Muganga to the position. Muganga took over from Jean-Bosco Kazura, who had occupied the position since 2019.
During the oath ceremony, the president urged the newly appointed military leaders to fulfill their new responsibilities by "working hard for peace and development in Rwanda."
"Wherever one works, they [the new security chiefs] must focus on their duties, perform them well, with the understanding of the importance of those responsibilities and how they will contribute to the livelihoods of Rwandans," Kagame said.
The swearing in followed a statement by the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) on Wednesday that apart from Murasira and Kazura, 14 officers had been dismissed. The president also "authorized the dismissal 116 other ranks and approved the rescission 112 other ranks," the statement added.
Speaking about the reasons for the reshuffle, army spokesman Ronald Rvivanga told local media that two long-serving generals, Major General Aloys Muganga and Brigadier General Francis Mutiganda, had been sacked for "indiscipline."
Other changes were also made to the command roles of the Rwandan forces, which have been deployed in Mozambique since 2021 to fight an insurgency.