Rwanda National Police

Twenty Police officers, on Monday, May 15, started a two-week UN Training of Trainers course at the Police Training School (PTS) Gishari in Rwamagana District.

The course on peacekeeping is conducted by Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with the the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).

The PTS commandant, Commissioner of Police (CP) Robert Niyonshuti, while officially opening the course, commended the existing partnership between the RNP and UNITAR in capacity development.

"Through this partnership, we have conducted various course in peace support operations.

Rwanda National Police has always put training at the forefront in capacity building to address contemporary security threats either in Rwanda or in other countries, whenever required," CP Niyonshuti said.

He added that in order to proactively address security challenges, there is need for competent trainers to drive a knowledge-based and skilled force.

"Peacekeepers require pre-deployment training, which cannot be acquired if you don't have enough and skilled trainers. This demanding course was, therefore, organized in that line to have competent trainers,"CP Niyonshuti said.

Rwanda currently deploys Police peacekeepers in various countries, including four contingents in Central African Republic (CAR) and two in South Sudan.

Others are deployed as Individual Police Officers (IPO), who work as advisors and mentors, as well as professionals, who include the current Head of Police component for the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), CP Christophe Bizimungu, and the Chief of Operations for the UN Mission in South Sudan UNMISS), ACP Felly Bahizi Rutagerura.

Elaine Maisonneuve from the Peacekeeping Training Programme Unit at UNITAR, said that they aim to increase the capacity of beneficiaries to respond to global evolving security challenges.

"UNITAR aims to step away from traditional methods of teaching; instead, rely on research to adopt best practices required by the Police forces to ensure they have the knowledge relevancy in dealing with the emerging security threats," Maisonneuve said.