A total of twenty senior officers of the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on Monday, November 8 started training of military observers at the Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District.

The two-week "United Nations Military Observers Training of Trainers Course" is organised by the Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA) in partnership with British Peace Support Team-Africa and the United Nations Integrated Training Service (ITS).

According to RPA, the course will "build the capacity of the RDF officers; to design, develop and deliver training for officers assigned as military observers to the UN peacekeeping operations."

The officers are also expected to train their RDF colleagues.

They will be trained by UN officers from different countries such as Brazil, Uruguay and Nigeria.

"We've been supporting troops all over Africa, and particularly here in Rwanda for so many years and we are extremely proud of the relationship we have with the Rwanda Defence Force," said Lt Col Mike Lynskey, who works with British Peace Support Team Africa.

"The officers will have a tough task over the next two weeks. There's a lot of information that they must absorb; and there's a lot of building on their training skills so that they are able to deliver this training to the RDF and other nations going forward."

Military observers monitor and verify ceasefire violations as well as human rights violations in mission areas. They also carry out various investigations and report on routine as well as special circumstances.

According to RPA, military observers need professional skills development in order to accomplish their tasks in a "professional, timely and accurate manner."

"Military Observers play a crucial role in mission areas that are in most cases complex and characterised by accusations and counter-accusations by parties to the conflict," Col (Rtd) Jill Rutaremara, the Director of the Rwanda Peace Academy, said on Monday, as he opened the training.

He added that the training will equip the RDF officers with the knowledge and skills needed for enhancing RDF training capacity.

"This capacity development is important because it will enable the RDF to train many potential military observers without necessarily relying on expertise from its partners and allies," Rutaremara said.

Rwanda is the third-largest contributor of peacekeepers in the world and the second in Africa.