KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame approved the retirement of more than 1,000 soldiers from the army, including five generals, the country's military said in a statement Saturday.

Those sent into retirement include a former Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura, along with four brigadier generals,170 senior officers, and 992 soldiers of various ranks who reached retirement age or whose service contracts have ended, the statement said.

The retiring generals and senior officers have been serving in the army since Rwanda's liberation war in the 1990s.

Gen. Kazura had been chief of defense staff of the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) from November 2019 to June 2023.

Among other roles, he served as deputy force commander of the African Union Mission in Darfur, Sudan, and force commander of the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

The move came a day after Kagame sacked over 200 soldiers from the army, including about 20 senior and junior officers, over gross misconduct, corruption, and violation of army ethics.

"RDF remains firm in its policy of zero tolerance to corruption, gross indiscipline and misconduct," army spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronald Rwivanga told reporters on Friday.