The Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) liberation struggle took a decisive turn on April 7, 1994, when the defeated Ex-FAR, gendarmes, and Interahamwe launched the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi across Rwanda following the downing of President Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane the previous night at Kanombe Military Camp.
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At the time, the RPA had already been fighting government forces for nearly four years. From the battalion of 600 soldiers stationed at the CND in Kigali, then-RPA commander President Paul Kagame ordered the troops to immediately begin rescuing Tutsi civilians under attack.
Speaking to RBA on July 5, 2026, RDF Spokesperson Brig Gen Patrick Karuretwa reflected on his experience as a young RPA soldier during those defining moments, explaining how leadership prevented soldiers from seeking revenge despite the atrocities they witnessed.
Young Soldier Witnesses the Horrors of Genocide
Karuretwa said that in 1994 he was not yet 20 years old but was old enough to understand the magnitude of what was unfolding.
As RPA forces advanced toward Kigali and reached Nyacyonga, he recalled seeing bodies of genocide victims scattered across different areas. Some soldiers even recognized members of their own families among those who had been brutally murdered.
The horrific scenes left many fighters overwhelmed with grief and anger as they pressed forward with the mission to stop the killings and rescue survivors.
Leadership Prevented Revenge
Karuretwa admitted that his first instinct as a young soldier was to seek revenge against those responsible for the massacres.
Having received military training and carrying weapons, he questioned who the real enemy was if not the people committing such atrocities.
However, he said the answer always came back to one instruction: “Afande said.” For RPA soldiers, the command of their leader was final.
He explained that RPA leadership insisted soldiers must never retaliate against civilians or act out of revenge, despite their personal losses.
He said: “The anger was there. I carried it into Kigali. But when Afande said this problem will be solved another way, my duty as a young soldier was to continue the mission. It was extraordinary leadership,”
Building a United Army After Liberation
Following Rwanda’s liberation on July 4, 1994, the country faced the enormous task of rebuilding its national institutions, including the army.
Karuretwa recalled that many Ex-FAR soldiers who had remained in Rwanda were integrated into the RPA, a decision he initially struggled to understand after years of fighting against them.
Over time, however, he came to appreciate that reconciliation and national unity were essential for rebuilding the country.
He also noted that even during the war, captured Ex-FAR soldiers who chose to join the RPA were treated with dignity and allowed to retain their military ranks.
According to him, this demonstrated that the enemy was not individual soldiers but the leadership that had promoted genocide and division.
“If you left that leadership and joined us, you were no longer an enemy. It was a powerful message, especially since Ex-FAR had been taught that the Tutsi was the enemy,” he explained.
Kagame’s Message Shaped the Future of the RDF
Karuretwa said President Kagame consistently taught RPA soldiers that the real enemy was not fellow Rwandans but the genocidal ideology that had divided the country.
That principle, he said, gave the RPA clarity of purpose during the liberation struggle and laid the foundation for reconciliation after the war.
He noted that many former Ex-FAR soldiers who joined the new national army later became respected officers in the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF).
Reflecting on Rwanda’s journey over the past 32 years, Karuretwa said the country’s military is now recognized both nationally and internationally for its professionalism, discipline, and contributions to peacekeeping missions.
He concluded: “Looking back, I wonder where Rwanda would be if we had not chosen that path,”
