Rwanda National Police (RNP), yesterday, deployed two more contingents of 280 officers to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Central Africa (MINUSCA).

The Formed Police Unit (FPU) and a Protection and Support Unit (PSU) composing 140 officers each, left for a one-year peacekeeping mission aboard the national carrier, RwandAir.

The FPU will specialise in public order management activities such as crowd control, facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance, escort duties and protection of UN facilities, while the PSU will undertake special duties such as protection of VIPs, among others.

The two contingents join a third FPU unit of 140 officers that left early this month to replace the maiden contingent that also returned home yesterday, after successfully accomplishing its mandate in the central African nation.

It is the first time Rwanda deploys more than one Police contingent in a single peacekeeping mission, and the first PSU RNP has deployed in any UN mission.

The deployment of the two contingents brings the number of RNP peacekeepers in seven UN missions to over 900, with about 30 per cent being women.

During a pre-deployment briefing earlier, the IGP, Emmanuel Gasana, urged the officers to be professional and exemplary, and to uphold national values.

"Rwanda chose to partner with other nations to bring peace and stability to the world. You have been given this responsibility to represent your country for the good, safety and peace of the people of CAR. So, be result-oriented and keep Rwanda’s flag high,” he said.

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