Senior officials from the United States defense department and military visited Rwandan troops at the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) in Juba on Wednesday where they were briefed by Rwandan commanders.
The Ministry of Defense of Rwanda published an article on its website saying that the American delegation was headed by Brian P. McKeon, the Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, who was accompanied by Vice Admiral Michael T. Franken, the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Deputy for Military Operations and US Ambassador in Juba Molly Phee.
AFRICOM is one of six US geographic combatant commands and is responsible for military relations with all African nations except Egypt. Its headquarters are in Stuttgart, Germany, but the group also has a base in Djibouti.
The delegation visited Rwanda’s 6th Battalion, serving under UNMISS, at Juba UN Tomping Camp. “The purpose of the visit was to meet UNMISS Forces, assess the challenges on ground and chart a way out on how US could support the Mission using high technology,” reported the Rwandan ministry.
At the Rwandan contingent headquarters in Juba, the US delegation was welcomed by the Contingent Commander Lt Col John Muvunyi, who briefed them on the battalion’s activities and challenges encountered in its area of responsibilities.
According to the Rwandan defense ministry, the US Under Secretary McKeon appreciated the Rwandan troops and thanked them for their contribution to the mission of UNMISS. The visit ended with a guided tour around Rwanbatt6 camp facilities, including combat readiness equipment, Level I Hospital and water treatment plant.
Photos via http://mod.gov.rw/