English
Kinyarwanda
The Commanding Officer of the Rwanda National Police Marine unit, Superintendent Alphonse Businge, has expounded on how police and its partners ensure maximum security on water bodies in Rwanda.
The unit was established in 2005 with 35 qualified personnel but the number has since increased by numerous folds operating the seven marine posts all over the country, with its headquarters in Mushonyi Sector, Rutsiro District.
“These posts have qualified marine officers with modern equipment charged with ensuring security and safety on Rwanda’s 17 inland lakes and three others shared with neighboring countries, as well as ensuring that these water bodies are utilized in a sustainable manner in accordance with national laws,” said Supt. Businge.
Common illegal activities on lakes, he said, include illegal fishing or use of unspecified nets, smuggling and drug trafficking, which at times result into drowning.
“Last month (September) alone, we retrieved 11 bodies of those who drowned, some of them young children, registered three successful operations against drug traffickers in Lake Kivu and 32 cases of illegal fishing.”
“Disasters in waters, he explained, are usually caused by carelessness and illegally fishing especially in the night, disregarding precautionary measures like wearing lifejackets and sending young children to fetch water or to fish in deep waters.
“In order to overcome these challenges, we conduct regular water patrols and work with fishing cooperatives and traders to advance the need for safety on water bodies and to conduct fishing in a safe and sustainable manner.”
SP Businge further notes that his unit closely works with the Rwanda Agricultural Board (RAB), to ensure that fishing is conducted within legal parameters.
“We capture illegal fishing tools and unlicensed boats which are usually in dangerous mechanical conditions - and we destroy them in order to deter bad fishing practices. We have speedboats that are used during night and day patrols to ensure that illegal activities such as transportation of smuggled merchandise and trafficking of narcotics are halted.”
Police also partners with Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Agency (RURA) and Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA) to ensure that all human activities on and around the water bodies are acceptable and do not damage the environment.
“We conduct regular checks to ensure that boat operators have licenses allowing them to engage in water-related business and also whether they have enough lifejackets for their passengers, among other requirements,” he added.
He called on parents and guardians residing around water bodies to put the safety of their children first by not encouraging them to fetch water in the dark or to conduct fishing activities on their own.
“Drowning is mainly caused by drunkenness and fishing at night. However, some of those who drown are children who leave school or home to go fishing. Therefore, we ask parents and school administrators in fishing communities to act responsibly and discourage children from deserting their schools for dangerous activities,” he said.
Through Community Policing, Police Marine works with fishing communities, water transport operators, local leaders and neighboring communities to advance knowledge on safe fishing practices, environment sustainability, and how to partner in improving the general security situation on and around water bodies.
