RNP to deploy peacekeepers in war-torn Mali

Rwanda will later this month deploy 140 Police officers in war torn Mali.According to the spokesman of the Rwanda National Police, ACP Theos Badege, the contingent to be deployed in Northern Mali will serve for 12 months before it is rotated.“The troops are highly prepared for the mission; they underwent hard and propriety trainings, because of Mali’s desert setting which is not familiar,” said Badege.Rwanda was selected to provide peacekeepers due to the good performance demonstrated in different successful peacekeeping missions.After, Haiti, Mali is the second country where Rwanda National Police will be deploying Formed Police Unit (FPU) Peacekeepers.The reports come days after Rwanda’s Maj. Gen. John Bosco Kazura was recently named by the UN a Force Commander of a newly-formed UN peacekeeping mission there.Prior to deployment, Badege said, UN technical team on Monday inspected Police’s Contingent Owned Equipment (COE) to ascertain its readiness.They appreciated tools which include 30 vehicles–comprising trucks, breakdown, ambulances, coaster buses, electric generators, Badege said, adding that a lot of equipment is needed since this the very first Rwanda troop’s deployment in Mali.Rwanda is the sixth leading troop contributor to UN peacekeeping missions, with more than 3,200 troops in the UN African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur, and 850 with UNMISS in South Sudan.The country also maintains about 500 Police officers in peacekeeping missions in Haiti, Liberia, Sierra Leon, Sudan, South Sudan and Cote d’Ivoire.