The event was held on Thursday at the Caribbean Military Academy Headquarters in Kingston and was presided over by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith.
Addressing the contingent, Smith expressed appreciation to the Government of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame and the people of Rwanda for the deployment of RDF engineers, noting that their expertise will contribute meaningfully to Jamaica's post-disaster recovery and resilience-building efforts.
Speaking on behalf of the leadership of the Rwanda Defence Force, Col Claudien Bizimungu expressed Rwanda's solidarity with the government and the people of Jamaica.
He delivered a message from the RDF leadership, reaffirming Rwanda's commitment to stand with Jamaica during its recovery and rebuilding process.
Col Bizimungu emphasized that the deployment reflects Rwanda's broader commitment to international cooperation and humanitarian support, highlighting the RDF's experience in engineering, reconstruction, and community-focused interventions.
Col Moses Kayigamba, the RDF Engineer Contingent Commander, also highlighted that Rwandan engineers will work closely with the Jamaican Defence Forces and other national institutions in rehabilitation initiatives, as part of the agreed framework between the two countries.
The RDF engineer contingent was deployed to the Caribbean island nation on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, to support the country's recovery efforts by rehabilitating infrastructure destroyed by a powerful cyclone (Hurricane Melissa) in October last year.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the deployment was conducted in accordance with a bilateral agreement between Rwanda and Jamaica aimed at assisting in the rehabilitation of critical infrastructure destroyed by disasters.
Prior to their departure for Jamaica, the RDF engineers received a briefing from Brigadier General Faustin Tinka, Commander of the Mechanized Division on behalf of the RDF Chief of Defence Staff, who urged the deployed personnel to apply their full expertise, professionalism, and technical skills in order to successfully accomplish the mission entrusted to them by RDF leadership.
He emphasised that the beneficiaries of their support should clearly feel the positive impact of their work.
The deployment is in line with President Paul Kagame's pledge to support the Republic of Jamaica in the post-disaster recovery process during his visit in April 2022.
Théophile Niyitegeka
