The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) for Malawi Police Service (MPS), Dr. George Kainja is in Rwanda since Sunday for a week-long bilateral visit aimed at further strengthening cooperation between the two Police institutions. On Monday, IGP Dan Munyuza and his visiting counterpart chaired a bilateral meeting at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru. It was also attended by the Deputy IGPs; Felix Namuhoranye of Operations and Jean Chantal Ujeneza of Administration and Personnel. IGP Munyuza observed that the visit cements the existing bilateral cooperation between the two law enforcement institutions and that it will strengthen the collective resolve in addressing policing challenges to ensure the safety and security of people. Rwanda National Police and Malawi Police Service signed a cooperation pact in March 2019 to formalize cross-border partnership in various disciplines of policing including training, joint operations, tracking and exchange of criminals, combating terrorism, drug trafficking, organized crimes, and information sharing on security-related matters, among others. “Cooperation is a cornerstone in addressing contemporary security challenges such as terrorism, cybercrimes, drug trafficking, human trafficking and financial crimes among others. These crimes continue to threaten safety and security of our peoples. With such an interaction, we can together lay strategies and establish operational frameworks to deal with these threats with much emphasis on Islamic State-linked terrorism in our respective regions,” IGP Munyuza said. Terrorist networks, he added, have spread in the region and terror cells have been established in some parts of Africa, which calls for fast response and working more closely together to confront terrorism cells in countries and regions. He emphasized the need for practical framework and permanent forums through which the respective officers will be meeting periodically to review, share information and draw coordinated actions to respond to security challenges especially on armed groups and terrorist activities within and beyond the two borders. IGP Munyuza reiterated RNP’s commitment to cooperation and collaboration for the mutual benefit of the people in Rwanda and Malawi. On his part, IGP Kainja said that the bilateral meeting provides a platform through which the relationship and cooperation between the two Police institutions will be strengthened, and a chance to explore new areas of cooperation in the fight against transnational organized crime. He observed that in a globalized world, most often, countries face common challenges that require joint efforts to address. However, added, there are times when countries are also confronted by unique challenges that require specific partners. “There is no doubt that some Rwanda citizens living in Malawi may be persons of interest to the Rwandan National Police and as such the two Police institutions need to cooperate on information and intelligence sharing. This will help to avoid making Malawi a haven for criminal elements affecting Rwanda,” IGP Kainja said. He said that strong cooperation will innovatively identify strategies that can be mutually implemented to protect the two countries from terrorism and contribute to regional safety and security. During his stay in Rwanda, IGP Kainja will also visit RNP schools and other development projects in the country.
