A delegation of two officials from Haiti visited Police headquarters in Kacyiru, yesterday, to explore ways of strengthening cooperation between police forces in the two countries.

The visit is part of the partnership between the two countries that was formalised four years ago.

At the RNP, they were briefed on the Force’s structure and development journey including face-lifting police schools, community policing and the force’s support to community development.

"The Rwanda National Police is committed to building the capacity of its personnel through professional and academic courses and strengthening partnership with other forces to bring stability and peace globally,” Commissioner of Police John Bosco Kabera, who received the team, said.

They were also briefed on the RNP gender promotion programmes, including the Force’s target of attaining 30 per cent of the total Police Force, as per the national gender policy.

Jean Louis Karl, the chief of staff of the prime minister and director of Cabinet of Haiti, commended RNP for being a "people-centred Force” and for facilitating the country’s development agenda.

"My mission is to evaluate where we are and what needs to be done to reinforce this partnership; the kind of activities we can do together in terms of institutional support, in addition to having a peacekeeping force,” Karl said.

Mission in Haiti

RNP started the deployment in the Caribbean nation in 2010 and currently maintains the fifth Formed Police Unit contingent of 140 peacekeepers under the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti.

"I met with several officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Rwanda National Police and I am meeting others to assess where we are and explore opportunities to strengthen the collaboration,” Karl added.

"Five Haitians have graduated at University of Rwanda’s College of Arts and Social Sciences, and are going back to Haiti and now we look forward to having more students come over. We are looking to the possibility of having diverse and expanded collaboration between RNP and Haiti Police in terms of training, medical assistance and experience.”

Karl said his country wants to learn from RNP success story, especially in community policing.Next year, he disclosed, they intend to hold a cultural festival in the country as part of the partnership.

The delegation also visited Isange One Stop Centre where they were briefed on the various services offered to the victims of gender violence and child abuse.