Prisons officers from the five member states of the East African Community yesterday began a weeklong training that will help prepare them for peacekeeping operations.

The training, which also has officers from Seychelles and Mauritius, will orient the trainees to the United Nations and Africa Union approach to peacekeeping operations.

It is taking place at the Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District.

According to the Deputy Commissioner-General of Rwanda Correctional Services, Mary Gahonzire, the course will, on top of helping them perform better in peacekeeping, also enhance their proficiency in regular duties.

"The course will contribute to more effective implementation of UN and AU peacekeeping mandate, especially with regard to law enforcement,” he said.

The course is based on harmonised curriculum prepared by EAC partner states and, according to Gahonzire, it will contribute to regional integration.

"It is this realisation that informed the transformation of Rwanda’s prison system under the wider framework of security sector reform after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. This transformation has enormously enhanced public confidence in Rwanda’s justice system as well as rights and dignity of prisoners,” she added.

Leonard Onyonyi, a peace and security expert at the EAC Secretariat, said the training will help them harmonise regional correctional practices and mainstream UN correctional practices to the bloc’s institutions.

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