The incoming and outgoing Joint Taskforce commanders for Bangui (JTFB), under the United Nations Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA), on December 29, visited the base camp for Rwanda Formed Police Unit One (RWAFPU I), and urged them to remain focused to their mandate.

Brig. Gen. Moumouni Zankaro (outgoing) and his successor Col. Major Mouhamed Mounir were received in the RWAFPU-I based camp in the capital Bangui, by the contingent commander, Chief Supt. Sam Rumanzi, who briefed them on their operations.

Brig. General. Zankaro noted that the Rwandan police peacekeepers have played an important part in the restoration of peace in Bangui, where they are deployed.

RWAFPU-I is in charge of peacekeeping operations in four arrondissements in Bangui.

He urged them to accord the same partnership, teamwork, and respect to the new force commander and to also be an asset in fighting gender based violence.

The incoming Force Commander for Bangui, Col. Major Mouhamed Mounir, said: "The UN and MINUSCA in particular, believes in the professionalism and discipline of Rwandan peacekeepers, so continue to preserve that image set by your predecessors.”

RWAFPU-I is one of the three contingents; two Formed Police Units (FPUs) and a Protection and Support Unit (PSU) composed of 140 officers each, deployed in a rotational exercise last month.

Whereas FPU specializes in public order management like crowd control; facilitate delivery of humanitarian assistance, escort duties and protection of UN facilities, among others; PSU undertakes special duties such as protection for VIPs among others.

Rwanda National Police (RNP) started deploying in CAR in 2014 and has so far conducted ten combined rotations of the three contingents.