Twenty eight Police officers from four regional countries including Rwanda, yesterday, started a one-month Formed Police Unit (FPU) Training of Trainers course at the Peace Support Training Centre in Gishari, Rwamagana District.

Other officers taking part in the course are from Uganda, Ethiopia and Kenya.This is the second intake of its kind to be conducted at the centre dubbed the ‘Regional Centre of Excellence.’

The training is organised by Rwanda National Police (RNP) in partnership with the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Police component.

Formed Police Units, among other things, support in humanitarian assistance, crowd control and escort VIPs.

During the 30-day exercise, trainees will be taken through key peacekeeping operations such as crowd dispersal, rules of engagement, anti-riot drills, communications and marksmanship.

The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana, while launching the exercise, observed that Police institutions in EASF are mandated to maintain peace and security in the region.

"We should be ready to intervene for our brothers and sisters in cases of emergencies and conflicts,” IGP Gasana said.

He urged participants to make good use of the training for the good of their forces and the people of Africa.

"In our region, leaders have committed to the formation of a standby force to be called in any time,” he said.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kahsay Gebre, the head of the Police component in EASF, said the course will equip participants with knowledge that will help them prepare their colleagues in their respective countries for peacekeeping duties.

The regional standby force, he noted, recognises the operational roles played by the police component in bringing about peace and security in the region.

"This training aims at ensuring that you are facilitated towards our commitment in strengthening the police aspect in peace and security operation,” Kahsay said.

"FPUs are tasked with protection of mission staff and property, laying roadblocks and checkpoints, crowd control and guarding of vital installations. Such tasks require observance of self and instilled discipline,” he noted.

In line with objective four of EASF strategic plan 2010 to 2015, the police component is mandated to build capacity in the region by training 720 Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and six FPUs.