Swiss centre to boost security sector reform

KIGALI - The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) is set to design a programme that will enhance professionalism, accountability, and efficiency in the security sector.

Saturday, March 12, 2011
Gen James Kabarebe with Gordon Hughes during their meeting yesterday (Courtsey Photo)

KIGALI - The Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF) is set to design a programme that will enhance professionalism, accountability, and efficiency in the security sector.

This was announced, yesterday, after a meeting between a senior member of the DCAF International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT), and Defence Minister James Kabarebe.

Gordon Hughes, the associate senior advisor to the team, told The New Times that his visit aims at assessing how they can design a programme for the Rwanda peace academy.

"The programme will concern security sector reform and how that can be integrated into peace support operations training,” said Hughes.

"We will design that programme with close collaboration of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR).”

UNITAR helps UN Member States in capacity development in the fields of environment; peace, security and diplomacy; and governance.

Hughes was accompanied by the acting Director of Rwanda Peace Academy, Brig. Gen Frank Mushyo Kamanzi.

"I am now going to the peace academy from where I will discuss the modalities and the details of how we can design the course and hopefully within, maybe two to three months, we can be able to deliver that programme.”

He noted that the background to the proposal stems from the fact that the AU is already developing a policy framework for security sector reform, which will go to the heads of state for approval, this year.

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