Enhanced national inter-agency collaboration and coordination mechanisms are key for sustainable peace, security and development, officials noted on Friday, May 14, at the end of this year's National Security Symposium, in Musanze District.
The symposium was held under the theme: "Contemporary security challenges: the African perspective."
At the onset, Maj Gen (Rtd) Amb Frank Mugambage, the acting Reserve Force Chief of Staff of Rwanda Defence Force, shed light on how many national agencies were born from the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA).
Mugambage, who was the founding head of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) when it was established in 2000, explained the philosophy that informed the working relationship between the then RPA and new institutions.
He emphasised that "the concept of collaboration is not something new."
National security, he noted, is certainly a key pillar in nation building and, among others, there must also be conceptual and ideological clarity.
Security is a broad concept, comprising issues such as insurgency, terrorism and ecological deterioration, Mugambage explained, and it is only after this is well understood that that interagency collaboration can be better effected.
"And the citizenry too are beneficiaries of a good security environment. We cannot forget the involvement of the community in providing conditions for that security."
Public perception of the security forces, he also noted, is very important because if it goes down, insecurity goes up.
"By working together, agencies increase their effectiveness. This is critical," Mugambage said.
A necessity
According to Commissioner of Police (CP) Christophe Bizimungu, Commandant of the RNP College, the police often collaborates with other security agencies whenever it is necessary, so as to accomplish its mission.
He said: "We cooperate in many areas. It's a necessity. For many reasons, interagency cooperation is an approach that we adopted.
"We have a legal obligation to cooperate with other institutions. It is Constitutional. We cooperate with other institutions in areas including disaster management and economic development."
Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye, said the collaboration in Rwanda was designed by history and necessity.
In 1994, he said, the RPA was the only legal institution, "doing everything" from minding security, electricity, agriculture, mining, and all, "but today we have more than 200 institutions.
"All these have a strong relationship with the 1994 situation. All grow from that situation."
Busingye explained the importance of having laws to define the missions of various institutions but also shared broad points on how great leadership and vision contribute to building institutions that carry a nation's vision and values to eternity.
"Strong and visionary leadership can effect change. But legally established institutions can immortalise change," he added.
This year's National Security Symposium, the eighth of its kind, was organised by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Command and Staff College Nyakinama from Wednesday May 12 at Classic Hotel, in Musanze District.
The primary purpose of the symposium was to deliberate on matters of national, regional and continental security interest.