Rwanda committed to int’l peace, says Mushikiwabo

Rwanda is committed to bringing peace to the world “despite continued attempts from the international community to tarnish its image”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, said yesterday.She was officiating at the closure of a two-week UN Senior Mission Leaders Course (UNSMLC), held in Kigali.“Rwanda values peace; Rwanda is committed to the course of peace…committed to anticipating, making and keeping peace where it is needed,” said Mushikiwabo.The course, which was attended by about 45 senior military and civilian personnel from around the world, including four Rwandans, was meant to prepare candidates for senior leadership roles in UN peacekeeping missions.The course prepares candidates for assignments such as special representatives of the UN Secretary General (SRSGs), Force Commanders, Police Commissioners and Directors of Mission Support.Rwanda is the 6th leading contributor of peacekeepers, with about 3,200 soldiers in the United Nations African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur, (UNAMID), the world’s biggest peacekeeping operation, and 850 in South Sudan under the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). It also maintains about 500 police officers at various missions.Mushikiwabo noted that it was relevant and timely that the programme took place in Rwanda as the country is building its own peace academy.The Minister said the country is committed to developing Rwanda Peace Academy, which conducted the course, “as a natural destination for these very variable courses.”“I hope you had time to talk to average Rwandans to understand their perception about the failure of the international community in this country in 1994, or how far the unity and reconciliation process has gone or the understanding and contribution to the governments in the post conflict reconstruction processes that we have sustained over the last 18 years,” stated the minister.Rwanda’s experiences, both in rebuilding the country and peacekeeping operations, she explained, should offer beneficial insight that can only supplement such structured.She highlighted strong development, good economic growth as important pillars of the entire Rwanda’s reconstruction process.The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, she noted, should provide lessons on the failure of leadership, both national and international.“We as a people want to share our commitment and show that it is possible to rebuild a country from scratch and go beyond and be part of building other countries’ after conflict,” the minister said.“As contemporary leaders, whether of the UN, regional organisations, governments or even our own families, it’s Rwanda’s conviction that what is important is not what we didn’t do right at some point in the past; it is how better one can do things right today and keep improving as time goes by keeping peace.”“Rwanda has urged MONUSCO to focus on the protection of civilians first and foremost, and desist from any political inclination that would counter its own mission.” The BBC, recently, reported that the UN’s most expensive mission, MONUSCO, reported that Rwanda was supporting rebels in the eastern DRC.Rwanda described the reports as “categorically false and dangerous rumours.”“We intend to engage with MONUSCO and other stakeholders to keep finding the best ways of protecting the people of DRC and to bring stability to this region which has way too long caused instability stemming from the 1994 genocide in Rwanda,” said Mushikiwabo.

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Rwanda committed to int’l peace, says Mushikiwabo