A contingent of engineers from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) has arrived in Jamaica to support the rehabilitation of infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Melissa in 2025, marking a new chapter in practical South–South cooperation and disaster response.
The team was officially received on Thursday, January 14, at the Caribbean Military Academy Headquarters in Kingston, in a ceremony presided over by Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Senator Kamina Johnson Smith. She conveyed the Jamaican government’s gratitude to Rwanda, President Paul Kagame, and the Rwandan people for deploying skilled engineers at a critical moment in the country’s recovery efforts.
Senator Johnson Smith noted that the RDF’s technical expertise in engineering and reconstruction will play a key role in restoring essential facilities and strengthening Jamaica’s resilience to future natural disasters.
Speaking on behalf of the RDF leadership, Colonel Claudien Bizimungu expressed Rwanda’s solidarity with the government and people of Jamaica, affirming Kigali’s commitment to stand with the Caribbean nation throughout its rebuilding process. He said the mission reflects Rwanda’s broader policy of international cooperation and humanitarian engagement, grounded in experience gained from post-conflict reconstruction and community-based recovery at home and abroad.
The RDF Engineer Contingent Commander, Colonel Moses Kayigamba, said the Rwandan team will work closely with the Jamaican Defence Force and other national institutions, implementing rehabilitation projects under the framework of bilateral cooperation agreed by both governments.
The deployment follows President Paul Kagame’s pledge, made during his visit to Jamaica in April 2022, to support the country in post-disaster recovery and capacity building.
At a time when global politics is increasingly polarized and multilateral processes often slowed by bureaucracy, the Rwanda–Jamaica mission illustrates how direct bilateral military cooperation can offer timely, practical solutions. By cutting through lengthy procedures and focusing on swift decision-making, technical precision, and shared responsibility, such partnerships demonstrate how armed forces can play a constructive role in saving lives, rebuilding communities, and advancing a more responsive form of international solidarity.
