Military Rwanda
Military branches:
Rwandan Defense Forces: Army, Air Force
Military service age and obligation: 16 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2001)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 2,004,750 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,103,823 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$50.1 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
3.2% (2004)
Transnational Issues Rwanda
Disputes - international:
Tutsi, Hutu, Hema, Lendu, and other conflicting ethnic groups,
associated political rebels, armed gangs, and various government
forces continue fighting in Great Lakes region, transcending the
boundaries of Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and
Uganda to gain control over populated areas and natural resources -
government heads pledge to end conflicts, but localized violence
continues despite UN peacekeeping efforts; DROC and Rwanda
established a border verification mechanism in 2005 to address
accusations of Rwandan military supporting Congolese rebels and the
Congo providing rebel Rwandan "Interhamwe" forces the means and
bases to attack Rwandan forces; as of 2004, Rwandan refugees lived
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and Zambia
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 37,691 (Democratic Republic of the
Congo)
IDPs: 4,158 (incursions by Hutu rebels from Democratic Republic of
the Congo, 1997-99; most IDPs in northwest) (2004)