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)

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

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@Saint Helena

Introduction Saint Helena

Background:
Uninhabited when first discovered by the Portuguese in 1502, Saint
Helena was garrisoned by the British during the 17th century. It
acquired fame as the place of Napoleon BONAPARTE's exile, from 1815
until his death in 1821, but its importance as a port of call
declined after the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. Ascension
Island is the site of a US Air Force auxiliary airfield; Gough
Island has a meteorological station.

Geography Saint Helena

Location:
islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, about midway between South
America and Africa

Geographic coordinates:
15 56 S, 5 42 W

Map references:
Africa

Area:
total: 410 sq km
land: 410 sq km
water: 0 sq km
note: i