THE EXISTING partnership between police forces of Rwanda and Burundi has been instrumental in combating cross-border crimes, officials from both countries have said.

They were speaking on Tuesday in Huye District during a meeting between Rwanda and Burundi Police chiefs, which aimed at bolstering the existing bilateral cooperation.

Inspector General of Police Emmanuel Gasana and his Burundian counterpart Andre Ndayambaje jointly presided over the meeting.

The meeting is part of the regular and continued efforts between the two forces to work together to tackle crimes in both countries.

The two Police chiefs discussed new strategies to fight and prevent crimes through joint training, operations and exchange of criminals, among others.

Last year, the two forces signed an agreement to jointly combat cross-border crimes such as drug and human trafficking, cybercrime, among others. 

The new agreement also stresses the need for skills development and information exchange.

"We should consolidate the gains of our relations and build on them to ensure safety of our people and create an environment that favours investment in both our countries,” Gasana said.

After the meeting, Rwanda National Police handed over a Burundian national who was arrested last week following a warrant of arrest issued by his country. 

The suspect (name withheld) fled from Burundi after he allegedly stole musical instruments.

Joint training has also been held, according to officials.

Training 

A contingent of 200 Burundian officers completed a peacekeeping pre-deployment course at the Police Training School in Gishari, Rwamagana District, mid this year as part of the agreement.

Burundi Police boss Ndayambaje hailed the cooperation between the two forces, saying it is leading to tremendous and successful operations in both countries. 

The cooperation is slowly eliminating cross-border security threats and is improving the state of security across the border in either country, Ndayambaje said.

"However, there is need to safeguard the gains, remain watchful and continue to work together to make sure we eliminate cross-border crimes,” Ndayambaje added.

Rwanda National Police Spokesperson Damas Gatare said both sides agreed to continue sharing information that might lead to the prevention of crimes and the arrest and extradition of suspected criminals.