Rwanda National Police

Judicial police officers and prosecutors operating in the Western Province have completed a training to enhance their skills in promoting human rights and criminal investigations.

The two-day training hosted in Karongi District was conducted by Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with the Legal Aid Forum (LAF) and attended by station judicial police officers, station commanders and prosecutors.

This was the second phase of the training, which is scheduled to be conducted in phases throughout the country.

The inaugural training was conducted in Kigali last week, attracting 46 police officers.

Speaking in Karongi during the closing ceremony on April 21, the Commissioner for CID, Assistant Commissioner of Police Theos Badege, urged participants to use their skills to advance human rights and maintain solid professionalism while conducting investigations.

"The tasks of law enforcement are complex; they are constantly changing in order to adapt to modern methods. Therefore, it is essential to always upgrade skills of criminal investigators and provide assurance that new practitioners are fully equipped to meet the expectations and demands of RNP," ACP Badege said.

"As participants in this training, you are all required to continue promoting public trust by conducting investigations while respecting the rights of individuals."

He added that it is important to promote such practical exercises and trainings to increase interactions between officers and prosecutors in solving persistent crimes in community.

"In today's changing world, it is important for criminal investigators to effectively handle situations that, in addition to traditional law enforcement skills, require an awareness and expertise in human behavior, modern technology, cultural sensitivity, law, and other interdisciplinary approaches to ensure effective law enforcement," he said.

One of the trainers, Chief Inspector of Police Jean Claude Karasira, added that: "The training will upgrade officers' skills in interviewing witnesses and suspects and enable them to develop good quality case files to help prosecutors during court hearings."

A trainee, Inspector of Police (IP) Felicien Gasirabo, said that the training was specific in meeting his needs aimed at promoting justice and ensuring that criminals pay for their crimes.

Both RNP and Legal Aid Forum (LAF) are engaged in campaigns aimed at improving access to Justice and human rights initiatives.

Since last year, LAF and RNP started training police officers on human rights, with the first series of trainings targeting officers in Charge of Custody and Human Rights.

It is through such initiatives that RNP equips officers with relevant skills to propel their efficiency in delivering high quality services, accountability and transparency.