A two-week United Nations Police Officer Course (UNPOC) for Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) opened Monday at the Police Training School in Gishari in Rwamagana District. Fifty-eight Police officers from nine EASF member countries, including 22 females, are taking part in the ninth intake. Participating countries are Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Uganda and Rwanda, the host. The theory and practical course is also inline with EASF mission to maintain and sustain a fully operational and multidimensional integrated standby force ready for peace support operations. Juvénal Marizamunda, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, while officiating at the opening of the course in Gishari. Courtesy. The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvenal Marizamunda, while opening the course, said that part of the African continent continues to be tormented by intrastate conflicts. “Such conflicts, coupled with international and organized crimes seriously hamper our continent’s development efforts; peacekeeping remains one of the most effective tools available to AU/UN in their efforts to respond to such threats to peace and security,” Marizamunda said. In a bid to find ‘African solutions to African problems’, especially in relation to peace and security, the AU established a standby force--African Standby Force--with five regional standby forces. The EASF is one of the five regional multidimensional forces with a mandate to enhance peace and security in the Eastern Africa region. “Drawing lessons for her recent past, Rwanda is determined to be an active and responsible member of the international community. Rwanda has a firm conviction that there cannot be sustainable development without peace and security,” Marizamunda said. He emphasised that attaining and maintaining regional and international peace and security requires concerted efforts and commitment from member states. Rwanda has been participating in peacekeeping missions in the last 15 years and currently ranked the second troops and Police contributor to UN peacekeeping operations. Marizamunda further observed that peacekeepers, today, are deployed in increasingly hostile and dangerous environments, which necessitates future peacekeepers, individually and collectively, to be well equipped with attitudes, skills and knowledge required to competently and efficiently discharge their tasks. The Head of Police component at EASF, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dinah Kyasiimire, said that the role of Police has increased in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, early recovery and stabilization, post-conflict reconstruction and development, security, rule of law and the creation of a basis for development. This, she said, requires Police officers to be deployed for peace support operations to understand their roles in the multidimensional setting. The objective of the course is to introduce participants on the concept and mandate of peace support operations, multidimensional nature of peacekeeping, EASF, AU and UN organs’ relations in line with peace and security as well as challenges in peace support operations. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
