Rwanda National Police

Members of the ‘Transitional Justice Tour,’ yesterday, visited Rwanda National Police (RNP) to learn how policing a post- genocide society has been effective and successful in Rwanda.

The group is made up of students, members of Non-governmental Organizations and Civil Society Organizations from Netherlands, USA, Norway, Nepal and Rwanda.

The academic study tour is organized by the University of Rwanda – College of Arts and Social Sciences (UR-CASS).

RNP Spokesperson, Commissioner of Police (CP) Theos Badege gave them an insight on ‘Policing a Post Genocide Society’ and the journey taken by the force to evolve from  traditional to modern policing to ensure law and order and to work with other institutions to collectively address public needs.

He went on to say that RNP is one of the institutions put in place by the government during the justice sector reforms.

“The most pressing issue after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was to restore security, justice and public order, and to win public confidence,” CP Badege said.

CP Badege also said that the force took part in transitional justice including ensuring security and safety of Gacaca witnesses as well as building a people-centered institution.

The philosophy of community policing, he said, established collective responsibility among security organs and the general public to lay a foundation for development.

The 8th edition of ‘Transitional Justice Tour’ is championed by UR-CASS School of Law (SoL).

Dr. Denis Bikesha, the Dean of faculty at UR-CASS, pointed out that, “What police has achieved clarifies the complex nature of re-building a society after genocide."

He said that people involved in the process and have experienced what is happening on the ground have the best testimony of how their force has been effective in ensuring their safety and promoting their rights.

The tour is aimed at educating participants about Transitional Justice mechanisms adopted after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

It is designed to clarify the complexities involved in re-building a society after genocide. It involves both a literature study and a study tour, and have so far visited other institutions in the country.