The residents of Bangui in the Central African Republic (CAR), and in many other countries torn apart by strife, are experiencing – from the front seat – what many Rwandans have been enjoying for the last twenty years.

They are the beneficiaries of an improved secure environment courtesy of the presence of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), who, for the past one year, have helped bring sanity back on the streets of Bangui.

From the President of CAR, whose security was entrusted to the RDF, to the common man on the streets, their appreciation is overflowing, an indication that the peacekeepers have not let their guard down, nor has their professionalism.

The pro-people approach to peacekeeping, that encompasses dialogue and reconciliation, but with zero tolerance for disturbing the peace, have reassured the people of CAR.

If the RDF has a secret weapon when it comes to peacekeeping, it is their commitment to their mandate as well as ever-present memories of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. They witnessed firsthand the effect of lawlessness and therefore are well equipped to quell it.

RDF will not remain in CAR forever, but they can leave a legacy where security forces are seen as allies to turn to in times of need, and not perceived threats one has to flee from.

That is one major lesson the authorities in CAR should bear in mind as they rebuild their country and its institutions; there can be no development without adequate security for all its citizens, neither can security prevail in the absence of pure patriotism bereft of religious or tribal differences.