Rwanda : First regional Police Command Post opened in Rwanda
The pioneer regional police command post was on august 22, 2012, officially opened in Kigali, Rwanda to mainly serve as a center for sharing security information and training of police chiefs from the Eastern Africa countries in the East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO).
The initiative dubbed as ‘Solidarity’ will also promote the EAPCCO objective of greater cooperation for a safer and secure region. Rwanda’s Minister for Internal Security, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana presided over the official launch held at Rwanda National Police headquarters in Kacyiru.
The ceremony was preceded by training of over 60 police officers from all EAPCCO member states which is made up of 12 countries including – Kenya, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Tanzania, and host Rwanda among others.
The week-long training of Police Command Post Exercise (PCPX) code-named “Solidarity” began on August 20 to 25, 2012 at Kacyiru Police Headquarters. The objective of this exercise is to bring EAPCCO law enforcers together in a theoretical training in three responsive areas and thereafter do a centrally controlled joint exercise with intent to put theory to practice.
“The center aims at promoting strengthening and perpetuating cooperation between EAPCCO members through information sharing and intelligence on cross-border and trans-national crime and criminals based on INTERPOL best practice as well as promote the increasing Police role in Peace Support Operations (PSO), the minister said during the launch.
He added that there lots of hope that the cooperation from all member countries will play a significant role in creating peace and security for its people, and thus create a suitable environment for development in the region.
The exercises to be conducted at the center will be specialized in areas of Counter Terrorism (CT), Human Trafficking and Peace Support Operations (PSO).
Solidarity 2012 is a training opportunity for all the different member states police chiefs aimed at equipping them with the required knowledge to combat the high levels of crimes that are being done by organized groups and perpetuated across the borders of multiple countries.
“In a time such as this when the number of crimes organized and carried out in multiple countries is on a rise, there is a greater need to harmonize the knowledge and efforts of the police in regional countries to fight these cases singlehandedly,” Commissioner General of RNP, Emmanuel Gasana who also is the presiding chairman of East African Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) noted at the function.
Among the crimes that the police chiefs are training to counter include cyber-crimes, human and motor vessel trafficking among others which are on a rampant increase in the region.
In the exercise, emphasis is going to be laid on equipping the police chiefs with the required skills in order to enable them make better use of different security tools and databases that have been developed by Interpol. “The police chiefs are going to be trained on how to best use the tools and databases that Interpol has developed, aimed at fostering a fast flow of information on criminals,” ACP Felix Namuhoranye, the commander of the solidarity 2012 highlighted.
The regional countries were also hailed for the already existing efforts that have so far been taken to safeguard their countries and the entire region from the rising organized cross border crimes.
The chairman of the EAPCCO body, CG Gasana, said that it is important that the CPPX be held annually to ensure fast tracking of the developments in transnational criminal tactics and that all there is a common understanding on how to combat these crimes.
