The Police Commissioner for the United Nations Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), Serge Therriault, has welcomed the sixth contingent of Rwandan Police peacekeepers (RWA FPU) ahead of their operations in the Caribbean nation.

Thierriault officially met the contingent yesterday and acknowledged Rwanda’s commitment to international peace through the deployment of peacekeepers to UN missions.

He was accompanied by Fiona Drennan, from UN’s Mission Management and Support Section, at a function held at RWAFPU base camp in Jeremie town located in the province of Grande Anse.

"There is no doubt about the skills and capacity that RWAFPU has to carry on their duties smoothly and to promote peace and sustainable development in Haiti,” said Serge.

"Residents of Haiti have been very appreciative due to the professionalism and efficiency of Rwandan police peacekeepers over the year – and this trust should continue,” he added.

"As a new contingent, you should prolong the homegrown initiatives that the previous contingents exported to Haiti and benefited local residents. These initiatives have been very helpful in uplifting the lives of ordinary people and protecting their environment.”

His visit, he said, was to express UN support to RWAFPU ahead of elections of members of parliament due next month, when the sixth contingent of 160 police officers, will be expected to participate in crowd control and maintaining peace in designated polling grounds.

The contingent is also mandated with offering protection to UN personnel and civilians.

The RWAFPU contingent commander, Commissioner of Police (CP) Joseph Mugisha, briefed Thierriault about their readiness, activities and also urged the officers to serve with patriotism and selflessness.

The sixth RWAFPU consists of 160 police officers, 22 of them female, deployed early this month.

In their mission time, RNP peacekeepers have provided security in Grande Anse Region, protected delegates and provided emergency services to the local population.

RNP contingents in Haiti are also fond of conducting community works such as rehabilitating roads, supporting orphans and responding to disasters like floods, which has built a strong relationship between them and the Haitians.

RNP has been deploying peacekeepers to Haiti since a catastrophic earthquake in 2010 that killed over 100,000 people and displaced over three million others.

Rwanda contributes about 600 officers in seven UN missions - in Sudan, South Sudan, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Central African Republic, Haiti and Abyei.

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