Twenty one officers from Ethiopia, Burundi and Rwanda, yesterday began a one month United Nations peacekeeping pre-deployment course at the Rwanda National Police peacekeeping training centre in Gishari, Rwamagana District.

The course is meant for ‘Training of Trainers (TOT)’ from the three countries who will help in UN pre-deployment training of police officers in their respective countries.

The course was organised in partnership with Eastern Africa Standby force Coordination mechanism (EASF-COM).

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dan Munyuza, who presided over the official launch of the course, urged participants to utilise the chance to be competent trainers for the good of their respective forces and to help execute their peacekeeping duties effectively.

The course, he observed, will help police forces "to be an answer to security challenges in the region.”

He urged them to take "full advantage of the course to improve Formed Police Unit capabilities in peace keeping missions.”

Senior Superintendent Wanderi Mwangi, a representative from EASF-COM thanked Rwanda and RNP in particular for playing a key role in bringing peace in other countries.

Wanderi appealed to EASFCOM member countries to implement the UN Resolution 1325 which urges all actors to increase involvement of women in conflict prevention, management, resolution, peace building and reconciliation.

The Gishari Peacekeeping pre-deployment training centre was established in 2012 and has since conducted eight FPU intakes, including a contingent of 140 Police officers from Burundi Police Force.

The centre was also certified by EASFCOM as a ‘Regional Centre of Excellence’ and so far eleven regional countries have attended UN courses at the centre.