Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Carabinieri of Italy have signed a cooperation agreement which mainly focuses on exchanging best practices and capacity building of the police forces.

Carabiniere is the National Gendarmerie of Italy, policing both military and civilian populations.

The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding was held in Rome yesterday, between the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Emmanuel K. Gasana and the Commander in Chief of Carabineri, Gen. Tullio Del Sette.

The signing was also witnessed by the Carabiniere Generals, Rwanda’s consular to Italy Enrico Lalia  Morra, and Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Elisa Kabera, the commissioner for cooperation in RNP, among others.

"The agreement confirms the parties’ desire to strengthen their cooperation in the fields of training and exchange of best practices related to the two institutional services,” IGP Gasana said.

According to the pact, the two institutions committed to cooperate in the "priority fields” of counter terrorism, public order management, traffic and road safety, and Peace Support Operations.

Others include aviation security, helicopter operations and cybercrime investigations.

While emphasising RNP’s commitment on international cooperation, IGP Gasana, said: "This MoU reaffirms the growing relationship between two institutions, and a step further forward in strengthening cooperation as one of the priorities of Rwanda National Police.”

He lauded the step taken between Carabineri and RNP and pledged to make the pact a success in the face of the evolving policing challenges and to further ensure the safety and wellbeing of the people.

The agreement is the first of its kind at defense and security level between Italy and Rwanda.

RNP’s partnership has tremendously grown locally, regionally and internationally to include representations at the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, Interpol Global Complex for Innovation in Singapore, and the United Nations in New York, Uganda and Kenya, according to officials.

Since its creation in the year 2000, RNP has actively joined and participated in regional and international police groupings like Interpol, the EAPCCO, International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF), Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), African Police (AfriPol), East African Community Northern Corridor Integration Projects (EAC-NCIP) and engaged in peacekeeping missions, among others.

RNP has as well signed over 30 MoUs under bilateral arrangements and about 10 others under multilateral frameworks.

RNP also maintains about 1000 police peacekeepers in six UN missions.

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