The '' Forces armées rwandaises '' ( FAR ) was the national army of Rwanda until July 1994 , when the government collapsed in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and the war with the Rwandan Patriotic Front / ( Inkotanyi ) . The FAR was estimated at 7,000 strong , including approximately 1,200 members of the Gendarmerie . Elite troops included the Presidential Guard , estimated at between 1,000-1,300 troops , as well as the Paracommando and Reconnaissance units . These two units were of battalion strength by 1994 , and then counted a total of 800 troops
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
Rwanda Defence Force