US to partner with Rwanda on police peacekeeper training

The United States has signed an agreement with Rwandan Ministry of Internal Security for partnership on training of police peacekeepers.

In accordance with the agreement signed Wednesday in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, by U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Erica Barks- Ruggles and Rwandan Minister of Internal Security Sheikh Mussa Fazil Harerimana, the United States will provide the African country with training and other support for Rwandan National Police forces to be deployed to United Nations and regional peacekeeping operations around the continent, said a statement reaching Xinhua from the U.S. Embassy in Kigali.

"Later this year police trainers from the United States' International Police Peacekeeping Operations Support (IPPOS) program will work alongside Rwandan National Police trainers and commanders to prepare Formed Police Units and individual police officers for upcoming deployments to the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA)," it said.

Among the 10,000 military and 1,800 police peacekeepers mandated by the UN Security Council for the CAR mission, Rwandan police officers were among the first to be deployed upon the transition to UN command in September 2014.

While initial efforts for the U.S.-Rwanda police peacekeeping training partnership will focus on CAR, Rwanda has more than 600 police deployed to other UN missions that may also be considered for training cooperation under this agreement in the future.