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CJTF-HOA Commanding General visits Rwanda

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Craig, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa, pays his respects after laying a wreath at a tomb of 250,000 Rwandans killed during the Rwandan genocide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, Aug. 29, 2018. Craig visited Rwanda to conduct key leader engagements, meeting with both U.S. and Rwandan top leaders. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Ahearn)

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Photo by: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Ahearn 

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CJTF-HOA Commanding General visits Rwanda

U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Craig, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa, places a wreath at a tomb of 250,000 Rwandans at the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda, Aug. 29, 2018. Craig visited Rwanda to conduct key leader engagements, meeting with both U.S. and Rwandan top leaders. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Ahearn)

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Photo by: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Ahearn 

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CJTF-HOA Commanding General visits Rwanda

From left, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, the honorable Peter Vrooman, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Craig, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force- Horn of Africa, Brig. Gen. Lapthe Flora, deputy commanding general of U.S. Army Africa, and Rwanda Defense Force Lt. Gen. Jacques Musemkaweli, Rwanda chief of defense, attend the closing ceremony of Shared Accord 2018, in Gako, Rwanda, Aug. 28, 2018. Craig visited Rwanda to conduct key leader engagements, meeting with both U.S. and Rwandan top leaders. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Ahearn)

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Photo by: Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Timothy M. Ahearn 

KIGALI, Rwanda— U.S. Army Maj. Gen. James Craig, commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa (CJTF-HOA), visited Rwanda to conduct country familiarization and key leader engagements, August 28-29.

Craig kicked off his visit by attending the closing ceremony of Shared Accord 2018, a U.S. Army Africa exercise intended to enhance the capabilities of U.S. and African Forces in performance of peacekeeping operations.

While in Kigali, Craig laid a wreath on the tomb of 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre. Following the laying of the wreath, he was given a tour of the centre by a survivor of the Rwandan genocide. During the genocide, more than 800,000 people died. Twenty-four years later, the people of Rwanda promote a culture of unity.

“The Kigali Genocide Memorial was an incredibly sobering reminder of what mankind can do to each other,” said Craig, “It is a learning point not just for the Rwandans but for everyone to work to ensure that an event like that is prevented from ever happening again.”

Following the tour, Craig paid a visit to the U.S. Embassy for a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, the Honorable Peter Vrooman.

Craig’s final visit was to the Rwanda Ministry of Defense for a meeting with Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) Lt. Gen. Jacques Musemkaweli, Rwanda chief of defense, to familiarize Rwandan military leaders with CJTF-HOA.

A prime component of the CJTF-HOA mission is to help improve the defense capability and capacity among its East African partners.

The command conducts military-to-military engagements, key leader engagements, and civil-military operations to promote security and stability and to counter violent extremism in the region.