A one-week regional workshop and training course aimed at strengthening efforts to prevent the recruitment and use of children in armed violence is underway at the Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA) in Musanze District in the Northern Province. The “Regional Lessons Learnt Workshop and the Regional Lead Trainers’ Course” opened on Monday, February 16, at Rwanda Peace Academy in Musanze District and will run until February 20. Jointly organised by the Ministry of Defence, the Rwanda Defence Force, the Dallaire Institute and the Rwanda Peace Academy, the workshop brings together security and civilian personnel from eight African countries. ALSO READ: Rwanda hosts regional course to curb child recruitment in armed conflicts The training has attracted 28 participants drawn from the military, police and civilian institutions of the DR Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Uganda. Officials from the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security and the Eastern Africa Standby Force headquarters are also taking part. ALSO READ: Dallaire Institute, Rwanda National Police launch training on prevention of child soldier recruitment in armed conflict The programme was officially opened by Shelly Whitman, the Executive Director of Dallaire Institute. Maj Gen (Rtd) Ferdinand Safari, Director of the Dallaire Institute Africa Centre of Excellence for Children, Peace and Security, attended the opening ceremony. The Director of the Rwanda Peace Academy, Col (Rtd) Jill Rutaremara, was represented by Lt Col Frank Kagarama, the Academy’s Head of Training. According to organisers, the workshop aims to facilitate the exchange of experiences from similar training sessions conducted in 2025 across several African countries and African Union institutions, with the objective of improving future training delivery. Meanwhile, the regional lead trainers’ course is designed to strengthen participants’ knowledge and training delivery skills, update previously trained instructors, and gather feedback on revised training materials focused on preventing the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.
