English
Kinyarwanda
Eleven officials from the Ministry of Interior and Security, and Police Force in Ivory Coast visited Rwanda National Police (RNP) on November 26 with a view to sharing and learning from RNP experience.
Received by the Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana, the delegation was briefed on the RNP policing journey since its inception 14 years ago and Rwanda’s policing history
“For the last four years, we have been reinstating national security in Ivory Coast and for the last three years, we are developing a strong Police force and Rwanda’s experience is one of the best we want to learn and get experience on how we can recover from the policing challenges we are facing,” Fidel Yapi, the director in charge of Studies, Research and Monitoring in the Ministry of Interior and Security in Ivory Coast and head of delegation, said.
“Rwanda, like our country, went through difficult social-economic and security periods but it recovered quickly. We have a lot we can learn from such a rapid transformation,” he added.
He was also impressed with how RNP works with other institutions and the general public in addressing security concerns and gender based violence in particular including handling victims.
“I was really impressed in how Rwanda Police is closer to its people. The proximity testifies its services which is a key to homeland security and national growth,” Yapi noted.
“These lessons, among others, are additional resources for our Police force back home to effectively address security challenges,’ he said.
IGP Gasana, who commended them for taking part in the just concluded Kigali International Conference (KICD) Annual General Assembly, noted that the forces achievements were inevitable because the visionary leadership.
“Rwanda has had good history of unity and rich culture in the past, but the recent history of the genocide due to bad leadership and poor politics,” IGP Gasana said.
“We are a force which is only fourteen years old; we have moved through challenges of organized crimes and law reforms…we have restructured to move in line with the national vision and development agenda,” he said.
To realize the RNP targets, he noted that the force set ten priority areas to ensure sustainable homeland security.
The priorities include capacity building, community policing, fighting corruption, international cooperation, crime reduction strategy. E-policing policing and force discipline and welfare.
He emphasized that training is a best tool in policing.
“Yes, we are facing some challenges…we are still building capacities and capabilities and we are determined and readily available to cooperate with you to move our forces further,” IGP Gasana said.
He quoted President Paul Kagame saying that “in today’s world, you can’t work alone, you can’t turn the clock back but we can only shape the future.”
The delegation also visited the RNP GBV victims support centre, Isange One Stop Centre which offers free medical and legal services to victims and Kinyinya sector in Gasabo district to witness how the concept of community policing fights and prevents crimes.
Through financial contributions by each household in Kinyinya, the sector bought a patrol vehicle to facilitate community night patrols, installed CCTV cameras in places vulnerable to criminals, built community posts called Irondo, suspected criminals are held before police arrives at the scene and where recovered stolen equipment are kept awaiting to be collected by owners.
Recently, RNP awarded Kinyinya with a vehicle, tipper type for these outstanding achievements.
