Rwanda army generals dismissed for gross misconduct: spokesperson

KIGALI, June 15 (Xinhua) --

The recent dismissal of two high-ranking military generals from the army was a direct consequence of their involvement in gross misconduct, Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) spokesperson Ronald Rwivanga said Wednesday.

Earlier this month, Rwandan President Paul Kagame ordered the dismissal of Maj. Gen. Aloys Muganga, Brig. Gen. Francis Mutiganda, and 14 other officers from the RDF, as stated in an official announcement.

In addition, Kagame authorized the expulsion of 116 personnel from other ranks and terminated the service contracts of 112 individuals at different ranks.

During a press conference, Rwivanga explained that Muganga's dismissal was a result of alcohol abuse, while Mutiganda was dismissed due to gross insubordination.

He clarified that neither Muganga nor Mutiganda would face legal proceedings along with the other expelled soldiers.

However, he pointed out that the dismissals were not linked to the recent reshuffle of the RDF, stating that "we also had promotions, but they are not connected. They just happened to coincide."

Muganga, who was acting chief of staff in RDF Reserve Force in 2018, was later appointed as the commander of the mechanized division in 2019.

Mutiganda served as the director general of external security at the National Intelligence and Security Service until October 2018 when he was recalled to RDF headquarters.

Recently, Kagame made a reshuffle in the army that involved the appointment of Juvenal Marizamunda as the new Defense Minister, replacing Albert Murasira.