The Police chiefs of South Africa and Ethiopia yesterday visited the Rwanda National Police (RNP) anti-gender violence medical wing, Isange One-Stop Centre, and commended the initiative as the best approach in fighting violence against women and girls.

Gen. Victoria Mangwashi Phiyega, of South Africa Police Services, and Assefa Abiyu were in the country to attend the 3rd International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Sub-Saharan Africa Executive Policing conference which ended on Tuesday in Kigali.

They were received at the centre by Commissioner of Police, Dr Daniel Nyamwasa, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Wilson Rubanzana, the Director of Medical Services in RNP.

They were taken on a guided tour of units such as counselling, children and the victims’ ward and briefed on the various services the centre offers to the victims until they are discharged.

CP Nyamwasa explained that the centre was established as a holistic approach against gender-based violence and that the discharged victims are followed up from their localities.

The RNP is currently decentralising the centre, which offers free medical, psycho-socio and legal services to GBV victims, to 41 hospitals across the country.

"Isange One-Stop Centre is a good initiative, a novelty and sterling work. Keep it up,” Gen Phiyega said.

"This is surely a remarkable initiative and something worth emulating,” Abiyu said.

The centre was established in 2009 with the support of One-UN Rwanda and Imbuto Foundation and has since handled over 6,500 GBV-related cases.

Earlier on, Abiyu met with the Deputy Inspector of Police (Operations), Dan Munyuza, at the RNP headquarters in Kacyiru and the two discussed various security issues.

The Rwanda National Police and Ethiopia Federal Police signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate, mainly, in capacity building exchange of information and best practices and close collaboration in security-related areas.