RDF peacekeepers guarding new CAR Interim President

The newly elected CAR president Catherine Samba-Panza is guarded by an RDF officer during the ceremony on Monday

Barely a week after the first batch of Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) peacekeepers were airlifted to Central African Republic; the force has been tasked, among other peacekeeping assignments, with maintaining security of the newly-elected CAR Interim President, Catherine Samba-Panza.

Pictures taken on Monday during the swearing-in-ceremony of the new President show an RDF peacekeeper closely guarding President Samba-Panza.

Since last week, a contingent of 850 heavily armed RDF peacekeepers is being airlifted by US military planes to the war- torn Central African Republic.

The contingent is under the command of Lt Col Jean Paul Karangwa.

During the departure of the first batch of peacekeepers, RDF spokesperson, Brig.Gen Joseph Nzabamwita told journalists that the battalion of peacekeepers going to CAR is different from other RDF peacekeepers around the World, based on the situation in the country.

The spokesperson said last week: “We are sending an infantry mechanized battalion of peacekeepers who are heavily armed with weapons.

Their mandate is to operate under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter and this means that they will be charged with protecting the population, restoring peace and disarming the enemy-which will in some cases involve the use of weapons.”

The newly elected CAR President told BBC News day’s programme that the country still lacks enough peace keepers to restore peace and security.