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{{The Police chiefs of South Africa and Ethiopia forces visited the Rwanda National Police (RNP) anti-gender violence medical wing – Isange One-Stop centre – on March 5 and commended the initiative as the best approach in fighting violence against women and girls.}}

Gen. Victoria Mangwashi Phiyega of South Africa Police Services and Assefa Abiyu were in the country to attend the third International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Sub-Saharan Africa Executive Policing conference which ended on March 4 in Kigali.

They were received at the centre by Commissioner of Police, Dr. Daniel Nyamwasa and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr. Wilson Rubanzana, the Director of Medical Services in RNP.

They were taken through various units such as counselling, children and the victims’ ward and explained on the various services the centre offers to the victims until they are discharged.

CP Nyamwasa explained that the centre was established as a holistic approach against gender-based violence and that the discharged victims are followed up even when they are at home.

The RNP is currently decentralising the centre, which offers free medical, psycho-socio and legal services to GBV victims, to 41 hospitals across the country.

“Isange One Stop Centre is a good integrated initiative, a novelty and sterling work. Keep it up,” Gen Phiyega said.

“This is surely a remarkable initiative and I am proud of you,” Abiyu said.
The centre was established in 2009 with the support of One-UN Rwanda and Imbuto Foundation and has since received over 6500 GBV-related cases.

Earlier on, Abiyu met with the Deputy Inspector general of Police, Dan Munyuza at the RNP headquarters in Kacyiru and the two discussed various security issues.

The Rwanda National Police and Ethiopia Federal Police signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate, mainly, in capacity building, exchange of information and best practices and close collaboration in other areas relevant to security.

RNP

{{Rwanda Mechanized Infantry battalion (RwaMechBatt1) of Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) in Central African Republic (CAR), serving in the African-led International Support Mission to the Central African Republic (MISCA) have intensified security meetings with the population in Wango and Sokati areas, Bangui. }}

The meetings were aimed at discussing with the local Community to contribute to security, peace-building and support MISCA Forces in their effort to stabilize the country.

The Forces also held meetings with local leaders, opinion leaders and other stakeholders such as local and International Humanitarian NGO in the localities, calling on them to unite efforts to help the population.

RwaMechBatt1 and Human Rights NGO’s in place made a screening of youths under 18 years who were detained in Ngaragba prison and returned them to their families.

“The majority of the youths had been arrested for looting and engaging in destabilization of security in their neighborhoods.

They were counseled and returned to their families” said Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita, RDF Spokesperson.

RwaMechBatt1 intensified tight security measures in their area of control when they deployed in CAR.

They have been carrying out aggressive peacekeeping to protect civilians such as intensive patrols, disarmament of armed groups and stopping of looting.

This is assuring to the population to return to their homes earlier abandoned due to insecurity.

However, the population has raised food shortage when they go back to their homes as they only benefit from aid only when they are in IDP camps. Humanitarian NGOs are called to intervene in addressing this situation.

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{{More than 30 U.S. Embassy Kigali employees visited 15 schools and the Gihembe refugee camp in Byumba to help Rwandan students celebrate World Read Aloud Day on Wednesday, March 5. }}

U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Donald Koran visited a classroom of students at Gihembe refugee camp in Byumba to read the Rwandan book “The Magic Formula” by Ibrahima Ndiaye and Capucine Mazill, while other embassy employees chose classic American children’s books as well as books with themes of girls’ empowerment and teamwork.

World Read Aloud Day is celebrated around the world as a way to introduce students and young people to the joys and uses of reading and reintroduce adults to the pleasures of reading to those young and old.

It’s easy to find books in Kigali and around Rwanda to read aloud. The Embassy’s Information Resource Center has books for the public to read during their open hours of 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday each week.

The American corners at Rwanda Library Services and Rwanda Tourism University College in Gisenyi also have children’s books and other fiction and non-fiction books for the public to read.

{{The fourth humanitarian and commercial goods convoy of 131 escorted by Rwanda peacekeepers in Central African Republic (CAR) to the CAR-Cameroon border, Beloko locality returned peacefully last night on 4th March 2014 to Bangui.}}

Along the way, the peacekeepers rescued 250 Muslim civilians from Ant-Balaka armed group and safely transported them to the CAR-Cameroon border where they crossed to Cameroon.

The humanitarian convoy termed as “Convoi de l’espoir” (convoy of hope) by France 24 or “Convoy of terror” by BBC began their trip from Bangui on 1 March 2014.

“The Peacekeepers have continued to deliver commercial and humanitarian goods, a lifeline needed to normalize Bangui and CAR.

The 250 Muslims taken to safety is an act that saves lives, but the ultimate goal is a secure environment where all citizens of CAR should live freely in their country without persecution due to religion or otherwise” said Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita, RDF spokesperson.

RwaMechBatt1 peacekeepers first opened the 700 km humanitarian Corridor on 27 January 2014 and this was the fourth convoy

{{The U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Donald Koran on Wednesday visited two important projects at Gihembe refugee camp in Byumba and led a World Read Aloud Day event with students living at the camp.}}

Ambassador Koran spoke with members of a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services team working with the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to identify Congolese refugees qualifying for resettlement to the United States as well as with refugees who are completing interviews.

He also visited with implementers and recipients of the World Food Program Cash Transfer pilot program.

This program, in its testing stages at Gihembe, distributes an amount of cash via mobile transfer to heads of household within the camp for use purchasing food goods in the surrounding community.

The transfers help refugees purchase fresh foods, benefitting both them nutritionally and the local community economically.

After the two visits, Ambassador Koran read to some of the refugee camp’s children as part of World Read Aloud Day, a day celebrating the joys of reading and the importance of working with children on literacy skills from an early age.

Ambassador Koran led a townhall discussion with residents of the camp, fielding questions on the resettlement and cash transfer programs along with myriad subjects on camp residents’ minds.

“I would like to congratulate you on your perseverance and hard work to make it to this point,” Koran told the audience at the townhall meeting. “I know that you still long for peace in your homeland.”

The visit was part of the U.S. government’s continued commitment and attention to refugees issues faced the governments of Rwanda and the United States are facing.

The US accepted more than 11,000 refugees from Africa in 2013 and expects to accept more this year. Almost 1,000 Congolese refugees have moved from Rwanda to the U.S. since the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo began.