Rwanda National Police

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza said that the region will be safe from cross border and organized crimes particularly through continued and concerted efforts, collaboration and being proactive in daily operational tasks.

IGP Munyuza was speaking in Arusha, Tanzania while attending the 6th East African Community (EAC) partner states Chiefs of Police meeting to discuss major security concerns in the region.

The two-day meeting that started on May 30, was organized by the EAC Secretariat and officially opened by the EAC Deputy Secretary General for Political Federation, Mr. Charles Njoroge.

It was also attended by the Executive Secretary General for the Regional Centre for Small Arms (RECSA) Lt. Gen Badreldin Elamin Abdelgadir, and Head of INTERPOL Regional Bureau in Nairobi, Gideon Kimilu.

IGP Munyuza, who chaired proceedings of the meeting, said that coming together "confirm that we all want our EAC region to be safe and secure to enable development."

He said that different reports adopted serve as guiding tools to enhance the respective customized and harmonized policing systems and to strengthen security systems to deal with cross border security threats in the region.

"Transnational crimes and other security challenges we face in our region need everybody’s attention and effort, if meaningful peace and security is to be guaranteed in our region," IGP Munyuza said.

The Police Chiefs and experts discussed crime trends and developments in crime management in the region, measures against terrorism, violent extremism and other emerging security threats in the region as well as disarmament and destruction of illicit arms and light weapons.

Other areas focus during the meeting include developing operational modalities and procedures for regional Police Centres of Excellence, legal frameworks on regional cooperation in forensic services, harmonization of Police Standard Operating Procedures and examining legal frameworks on integration of Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) instruments into the EAC tools.

"Results of our collective efforts should positively be reflected in the performances of our respective institutions and establishments," IGP Munyuza said.

Cross-border cooperation falls under the priorities of Rwanda National Police (RNP) as an effective way to jointly respond to emerging security challenges that are transnational in nature.

Over the years, RNP has strengthened its partnership with Interpol, joined other regional and international police orgainisations like EAPCCO, RECSA and Northern Corridor.

Rwanda has hosted regional and international trainings and conferences such as the 84th Interpol General Assembly in 2015, AFRICA UNiTE CPX II, EAPCCO CPX I and II, IACP 3rd Sub-Saharan Executive Policing Conference, 6th Interpol Expert meeting on Genocide, War Crimes and crimes against humanity, among others