Rwanda National Police

The District Police Unit (DPU) of Huye and members of Rwanda Youth Volunteers in Community Policing in the Southern district held a meeting on March 3, and discussed various issues related to strengthening efforts in human security activities.

The meeting was chaired by the District Police Commander (DPC), Supt. Justin G. Rukara and attended by the district committee for the youth group.

The meeting particularly tackled priority areas of partnership; how to sustain and build on the youth volunteers’ achievements in human security, and how to support them in their security and development activities.

The DPC thanked them for their volunteerism in driving the community policing agenda, and pledged further support in their activities meant to fight and prevent crimes, and other human security programmes.

There are 10180 members of youth volunteers in community policing in Huye District alone. Countrywide, the youth group has over 250, 000 members.

“There are important issues at hand that requires immediate attention; the issue of illicit drugs, child pregnancies and gender based violence requires working together in raising awareness against them and teaching people their individual and collective roles to address them,” Supt. Rukara said.

“We need to know who the drug dealers are and share information in real time to facilitate operations and arrests to face justice,” he added.

With the issue of illicit drugs being one of the challenges affect youth development currently, and affecting other sectors like education and health, Rwanda National Police (RNP) has placed it among the urgent issues to address through continuous awareness to kill the market but also conducting operations to break chains of supply.

Meanwhile, the DPC also reminded the youth to be vigilant and further support the security activities and other preparations for the forthcoming 24th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

The youth volunteers’ organization formed in 2013 with less than 300 members is composed of students and graduates, with leadership structures from the national level down to the grassroots.

As of end of last year, their human security and community development activities since it was founded, was valued at over Rwf630 million.

Currently, the youth group conducts community work – Umuganda – twice every month with major focus now on cleaning and rehabilitating Genocide memorial sites, building and renovating toilets and houses for the poor especially genocide survivors, afforestation activities as well as community awareness against crimes