RDF peacekeepers urged to share professional skills

Rwandan peacekeepers in the Central African Republic have been urged to share their professional skills with other peacekeepers as a way of curtailing the escalating violence in the country. The call was made last week by the African Union Peace and Security Department Director Elghassim Wane, during his visit to the Rwandan peacekeepers base in Bangui. Rwanda maintains a battalion of 850 highly specialised peacekeepers, who are operating under the auspices of African-led International Support Mission in the Central African Republic (Misca). During the tour, Elghassim was accompanied by the head of the Misca, General Jean-Marie Michel Mokoko and Misca Force Commander, Brig. Gen Martin Tumante. Elghassim appealed to the Rwandan peacekeepers to share good practices, professionalism and discipline with their colleagues. At the base, officials were received by Rwandan contingent commander in Misca, Lt. Col Jean Paul Karangwa. Disarmament underway Meanwhile, peacekeepers in CAR are working tirelessly to disarm several groups and so far, Misca said 300 military personnel were deployed to carry out the disarmament exercise. The militias slated to be disarmed are mainly those who staged an attempted coup in December last year against Seleka Muslim rebels. Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the country amid a wave of killings, where angry mobs have stabbed and beaten to death anyone they suspected of backing Seleka. Meanwhile on Saturday, French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian was quoted in the media saying that French troops were poised to remain longer and will soon deploy another contingent of 400 peacekeepers. France maintains a force of 1600 men in CAR while the African Union peacekeeping force has a combined contingent of over 5,300, coming from Rwanda, Burundi, Dr Congo, Chad and Cameroon.

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RDF peacekeepers urged to share professional skills