Rwanda National Police

Fighting trafficking and use of cannabis should be given more emphasis and various actors need to be more active to combat it.

The message was delivered to Community Policing Committees (CPCs) in Gasabo District and Students of Cyahafi in Gitega sector of Nyarugenge District, in separate community policing awareness campaigns against narcotics, conducted on Friday.

While speaking to over 150 CPCs in Gasabo, Inspector of Police, Seraphine Nyirandikubwimana, the District Community Liaison Officer, challenged them to hold the mantle in the fight against the vice.

She noted that people who consume narcotics are the vast majority involved in other crimes like night break-ins, assault, sexual and community violence.

Participants were also given light on the issue of human trafficking, which is currently of international concern, although a minimal phenomena in Rwanda.

They were urged to sensitize communities on the issue and to report people that could be involved in exporting especially girls under the guise of offering them better jobs abroad.

Jean Sauveur Kalisa, the Sector Executive Secretary of Jabana, who commended the Police work in crime prevention, urged the CPCs to be defined by results which their respective communities require from them.

"Security means sustainable development and the two go hand-in-hand and the responsibility of everyone,” said Kalisa

In Nyarugenge, Inspector of Police Claude Badaraza, while speaking to about 850 students of Cyahafi, noted that some of their colleagues have dropped out of school because of consuming cannabis and becoming addicts.

He urged them to concentrate on their studies and be counselors to their colleagues that do narcotic drugs or report them to Police so that they are rehabilitated.

The awareness exercise was also attended by the school administration.

"Narcotic drugs cause other crimes like theft, assault and even defilemetnt or rape. Don’t be surprised when you find your colleagues arrested the following day…sometimes these drugs cause them to do things they cant think of doing when they are sober,” IP Badaraza told students.

The school head-teacher, Faustin Rutembesa urged the students the heed the police call for their own better future and the government in general.

One of the students, Jean de la Croix Dusingize said: "Today, I got more understanding and knowledge on dangers of consuming narcotic drugs and how I can be part of fighting it.”

He added: "Our future is better and our families and the country have a lot of expectations from us, and it would be heart-breaking if we disappoint them.”

Consumption of narcotic drugs is rated high especially among the youth, including students, and the force is currently actively engaged in awareness in schools and communities against it, through community policing.