ByKT Press Reporter
Friday July 15, 2022
Parade at graduation event
It was all colourful at the National Police College (NPC) in
Musanze District on Thursday, July 14, as 34 senior officers from eight African
countries completed a one-year Police Senior Command and Staff Course (PSCSC).
The graduation of the 10th intake was attended by senior law
enforcement officers from Rwanda, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Somalia, South Sudan,
Tanzania and Zambia.
The tenth PSCSC programme comprised of three main
components: a Police professional career component, which leads to the award of
a Post Staff College (PSC) title; a Master’s degree in Peace Studies and
Conflict Transformation by the University of Rwanda; and a post-graduate
programme, which awards a post graduate diploma in Strategic Leadership and
Management by the African Leadership University.
The colourful event was presided over by the Minister of
Interior, Alfred Gasana, who reminded the graduands that titles and awards
attained should reflect on their ability to bring solutions to law enforcement
challenges in their respective countries.
The graduation was also graced by the Inspector General of
Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza, the IGP of Namibian Police, Lt. Gen. Sebastian
Ndeitunga, Police Commissioner for Somali Police Force (SPF), Maj. Gen. Abdi
Hassan Mohammed; Governor Northern Province, Dancilla Nyirarugero, Senior
Assistant Commissioner of Police (SACP) Betty N, Timba from Zambia Police Service,
and RNP Deputy IGP in charge of Administration and Personnel, Jeanne Chantal
Ujeneza and other officials.
Thirteen senior Police officers from Namibia, six from
Somalia and five Zambia have attended the PSCSC at NPC.
“Today, we are here to celebrate your achievements as well
as your efforts, hard work, team spirit, commitment and resilience. I commend
you for translating your wisdom into action,” Minister Gasana said.
As they celebrate the milestone, the Minister reminded them
that there is still more to do, more to learn and more to achieve.
He reiterated that peace and security in countries depend on
the amount of efforts deployed to prevent or disrupt crimes; minimize, manage
or transform conflicts that are unavoidable in any human society.
“These efforts mostly focus on addressing the root causes of
conflicts from socio-economic, political, legal, institutional and structural
perspectives and where no due consideration is given to these issues, conflicts
are likely to break out and escalate beyond proportion,” Minister Gasana said.
In Rwanda, he said, the Genocide against the Tutsi was a
culmination of a long time unresolved issues of divisionism and discrimination
followed by exclusion, bad governance, structural violence and impunity.
“In the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, we
have witnessed how the promotion of collective security, unity, reconciliation,
fair justice and good governance contributed to social cohesion, peace towards
accelerated development,” he said.
He added that learning from this experience, it becomes
apparent that leadership is at the heart of societal transformation and all
endeavours towards peace, security and sustainable development.
The participation of law enforcement officers from African
countries, Minister Gasana said, it is an “expression of African solidarity
towards finding African solutions to African challenges and build the Africa we
want.”
He further observed that this joint training venture is one
of the key tools for nurturing cooperation and to foster exchange of
experience, information sharing and provide a forum for designing joint
strategies to respond to crime-related challenges.
The NPC Commandant, Commissioner of Police (CP) Rafiki
Mujiji said that the course was highly
demanding requiring high levels of self-discipline and determination to achieve
the goals.
“Your positive attitude, hard-work spirit and discipline
exhibited throughout the course have made possible today’s celebrations,” CP
Mujiji said.
Prof. Nosa O. Egiebor, the acting Vice Chancellor of the
University of Rwanda (UR), congratulated the senior Police officers for the
milestone and urged them to be good ambassadors.
“As you move-on to your various duty posts to take on your
professional assignments as peace and security officers, you must remember that
the authority entrusted on you comes with huge responsibilities to your people
and society to provide exemplary leadership for the resolution of the
contemporary peace, security and conflict related challenges of your time,”
Prof. Nosa said.
Veda Sunassee, the CEO of African Leadership University, a
new partner with the RNP Senior Command and Staff Course, expressed commitment
to the sustainability and efficiency of the course.
“We are privileged to have a potential partner in Rwanda
National Police… Pan-Africanism is a core identified of what we do. Thank you
for entrusting us with this responsibility to deliver this leadership
programme. You are one of our best and greatest partners and we look forward to
a continued journey,” Sunassee said.
He added that leadership is not a destination but a path to
walk.
Awards
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Peter Mwale Kalaya
from Malawi was awarded for the overall best research paper.
Kenya’s SSP Fatuma Hadi Ali was the overall Best Student
while SP Faustin Munyabarenzi from RNP came second and Brig. Gen. Abraham Dut
Deng Dut from South Sudan was awarded as the third overall best student.