Regional security training opens in Musanze

Delegates from several African countries yesterday gathered at the Rwanda Peace Academy, Nyakinama, for an international course in security sector reforms.3-0 senior military officers, police and officials from the justice sector from the East African Community partner states, Ivory Coast, Liberia, D R Congo, and Sierra Leone are among the participants. They are meant to learn from Rwanda’s experience in peace building.The course, which is organised by the International Security Sector Advisory Team-ISSAT, in partnership with Rwanda Peace Academy, also doubles as a training of trainers programme.The Chief of Staff of the Rwanda Defence Forces, Lt Gen. Ceaser Kayizari, who presided over the opening ceremony, urged post conflict countries to be cooperative and complement each other instead of promoting antagonism.“The notion of security shifted from traditional state centric security to human security. In this sense, security means the achievement of freedom from fear…and entails establishment of democratic institutions and good governance,’’ Kayizari noted.The two-week course is the second to be held in Africa, following one conducted in Bamako, Mali, last year. It will focus on security sector reform challenges related to peace support operations.“Peace and security are not only a military issue as some people may think; every sector of the society contributes to the maintenance of peace and security. There is no security when people are dying of hunger, where there is social injustice, fear, corruption, illiteracy,’’ Kayizari stressed.The ISSAT team leader, Lt. Gen. Marc Caron, stated that the training will create more understanding of the concept of security sector reform, adding that it comes at a time when there is need for effective and accountable institutions.RDF spokesman, Maj. Rene Ngendahimana, said Rwanda will share its post conflict peace building lessons, indicating that security is a precondition for sustainable development.

National

Regional security training opens in Musanze