Twenty-seven Rwanda National Police officers have returned home after successfully completing a one year peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast and Central African Republic (CAR), where they were serving as Individual Police Officers (IPOs).
The officers, who arrived home separately recently include 23 who were serving under the United Nations Operation in Ivory Coast (ONUCI) and four others from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
While debriefing the officers on February 24, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, thanked them for their professional conduct and discipline exhibited during their mission span.
He challenged them to explore the acquired skills to advance the RNP vision, “people in Rwanda are safe, involved and reassured.”
“You acquired experience in different policing areas while you were on the international tour of duty; you should share the skills you acquired to enhance the RNP contemporary policing agenda. You should collectively explore international cooperation, share knowledge and experiences to ensure that you always make informed policing decision ,” said the IGP.
He also emphasized that discipline, professionalism and being result-oriented should define them in the new tasks they will take up soon.
Briefing them on the RNP policing programmes, he noted. “We have continuously achieved a lot in security and development by working with other countries, other security institutions and this has placed our country in better position of safety.
It is through His Excellency, President Paul Kagame’s vision,guidance and support that Rwanda continues to emerge as one of the major contributors in international peace keeping missions ,” he said.
He also took note of the fact that plans are underway to increase FPUs from five currently to seven to meet the UN demand that calls for our contribution to peace in the conflict zones world over.
Currently, Rwanda National Police deploys over 1000 peacekeepers operating in seven missions.
RNP started its peacekeeping operations in 2005; since then, Rwandan police officers have been credited for the outstanding performance and going beyond to introducing home-grown initiatives to support community development in areas of their operations including monthly community work, Umuganda, supporting the needy and renovating public infrastructures, among others.
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