Rwanda might help train african police forces

STOCKHOLM - The Rwanda National Police has attained a high level of professionalism that it could in future be tapped to help train police forces of other African countries, the Director General of the Swedish Development Agency, Anders Nordström, said yesterday. Nordström was meeting with the Commissioner General of Police, Emmanuel Gasana, at the SIDA headquarters in the Swedish Capital. “This is just a suggestion that has come up. There is no decision about it yet, but I think you have built an organised and disciplined police force that should now be able to move to the next level”, said Nordström. In reply, Gasana said the Rwandan police force had the skills and the will to share its achievements with forces of other countries if such a need were to arise. He commended the Swedish government for providing sustained support to the Rwandan police and the country in general. “Sweden has provided substantial assistance to our force and it is by far our strongest partner “, he said. Earlier on, the Commissioner General of Police met with his counterparts from Sweden and South Africa to draw a roadmap for the tripartite steering committee, a police cooperation grouping of the three countries. The meeting drew a work plan for the coming year with priorities in the areas of road safety, community policing, infrastructure development, capacity building and structural set ups. Gasana noted that with Rwandese police skills approaching acceptable standards, Sweden should consider directing its aid towards police infrastructure development and equipment. Nordström said that the suggestion was in principle practical and it could be explored further by the country’s representative in Rwanda. Gasana was accompanied by the Rwanda’s Ambassador to Sweden, Jacqueline Mukangira and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Felix Namuhoranye. The delegation also visited a traffic-infield operation and a police station in the historic Central Sweden city of Uppsala. The tour was aimed at getting a firsthand experience of the Swedish police working environment. Ends