English
Kinyarwanda
The Rwanda National Police (RNP) peacekeepers serving under the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (UNSTAMIH), on March 31, opened the road that connects the town of Jeremie to the capital Port Au Prince and other cities, which had been closed by mudslides and floods.
Torrential rains on Monday and Tuesday had caused mudslides blocking the key road that links Jeremie to other towns, causing traffic and bringing business and movement of people to a standstill.
The Rwanda Formed Police Unit (RWAFPU5) contingent immediate intervened and opened the trenches, removed rocks and mud that had blocked the road along the shores of the Caribbean Sea.
In the quick response, Rwandan peacekeepers were joined by Minustah officials and local leaders.
“The road was successfully opened and the free movement of people and vehicles has since been re-established,” Commissioner of Police (CP) Bruce Munyambo, RWAFPU5 contingent commander, said.
The local community thanked the Rwandan peacekeepers for the humanitarian assistance and serving Haitians “with love, courage and commitment.”
CP Munyambo argued the locals to always engage in community development activities and work together to improve and open drainage systems to avoid such natural disasters.
The nature of landscape of Jeremie is hilly, and given the current rainy season in the Caribbean nation, such disasters are predicted.
“The contingent is willing to support you with any available necessary means in community activities,” he told residents.
Rwanda National Police maintains 145 peacekeepers in Haiti, with 140 of them under RWAFPU5.
Rwanda started its peacekeeping operations in Haiti in 2010 following a devastating earthquake that left over 300, 000 people dead and about 1.6 million others homeless.
Since their deployment, Rwandan peacekeepers, who introduced the home-grown monthly norm of community work (Umuganda) to the country have cleaned streets, and renovated prisons, trenches, and supported the vulnerable community, among others.
