The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, on July 14, briefed a contingent of 160 Police officers set to be deployed for a one-year peacekeeping mandate under the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

The Formed Police Unit (FPU) contingent, which will be the seventh National Police rotation in the Caribbean nation, is headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Faustin Ntirushwa as its commander, and includes 21 women.

They will replace Rwanda FPU6 deployed in July last year and scheduled to return home later this month after successfully executing their peacekeeping mandate and awarded UN service medal, according to a statement from Police.

During the pre-deployment briefing at the RNP headquarters in Kacyiru, IGP Gasana challenged the officers to maintain the Force and Rwandan’s values.

"During your tour of duty, you are required to preserve Rwanda values and demonstrate the highest levels of commitment, respect, discipline and professional conduct,” the IGP said.

"You are going to Haiti as ambassadors of peace, security and stability and you are going there to further build on what your colleagues have achieved over the years…keep the Rwandan flag flying high. Rwanda has earned a good reputation which should be sustained both locally and abroad,” he added.

He further urged them to cooperate with and learn from other peacekeepers’ experience adding that "learning is continuous.”

The deployment of RWAFPU7 contingent will bring the number of RNP officers who have served in Haiti under FPU since the maiden deployment in 2010, to 1080.

RNP is also expected to deploy another contingent to South Sudan in September which will bring the number of RNP FPUs in UN missions to six.

Rwanda is the third largest Police contributing country globally after Senegal and Bangladesh respectively but second largest female contributor.

RNP maintains about 1000 police peacekeepers in various missions with 820 of them organised in five contingents under Formed Police Units.

Three of the FPU contingents of 420 officers are deployed in Central African Republic while a robust contingent of 240 officers is deployed in South Sudan.

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