KIGALI - About 30 senior police officers from the Rwanda National Police (RNP) and the South Sudan Police Force, yesterday, started a two-week course that aims at further professionalising the forces of the two countries.

The training was organised by RNP in conjunction with the British High Commission in Rwanda.

Five South Sudanese officers are part of the training.

The course is in line with the implementation of the resolutions adopted during the 13th Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO) meeting in Kigali, which called for further training of forces to ably combat trans-border crimes.

At the same meeting, all the 12-EAPCCO member states, agreed to help train the newly formed South Sudan police force.

Rwanda is currently the chair of the regional body

The, Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, heads the council of police chiefs while the Internal Security Minister, Fazil Musa Harelimana heads the Council of Ministers responsible for police matters.

While officially opening the course at the force’s head offices in Kigali, Gasana commended the UK government for supporting capacity building of the force.

He explained that 21 other officers are undergoing various courses with 14 of them doing online degree courses at Cambridge University and two currently attending the international strategic and leadership course and international commanders’ course at Bramshill College.

Two other officers, he added, are scheduled to enrol at Teesside University for Masters’ degrees in forensic science while three others are slated for Leicester University on the online Masters’ degree.

Ten officers have so far graduated with Masters’ degrees from Teesside University.

"This is a clear manifestation of our effort towards professionalising the police force. I am sure the knowledge that will be acquired here will increase their capacity in leadership, management of crucial incidents, command and control, strategic planning and management and community policing,” Gasana said.

He urged the participants to devote their efforts to learn "because you are like the driving force of RNP…and this should be the same to our colleagues from South Sudan.”

The officers from South Sudan could not hide their gratitude for being part of the training.

"We are happy because we want to learn from their [Rwanda] experience which made this country to develop to this level.

It is our desire that we go back well equipped to also help in professionalising our force,” Col. James Monday, the Director of Police from South Sudan, said.

Ben Llewellyn Jones, the UK High Commissioner to Rwanda noted that it was very important for the British government to support the Rwandan police, "but also to support South Sudan and the strong links that exist between the two countries.

"It’s important that police becomes professional, which is central to good governance,” Jones said, adding that the police is the most visible to the population and it has to be the best.

They will be trained in leadership, management and community policing, the latter, which aims at enhancing the cooperation between police and the local communities.

It will also cover topics such as intelligence-led policing to further improve the exchange of information between the police and the general public.

Ends