Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Zambia Police Service (ZPS) held a bilateral meeting on Monday, October 19, to strengthen the existing ties in cross-border policing matters. The meeting held at the RNP General Headquarters in Kacyiru was co-chaired by the two Police Chiefs; Inspector General of Police Dan Munyuza and his Zambian counterpart, Kakoma Kanganja. IGP Kanganja and his delegation are in Rwanda for a week-long benchmarking visit on various aspects related to policing and security. IGP Munyuza noted that the visit in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic signifies the level of friendship and commitment to the policing cause between the two Police forces. “This visit is happening to strengthen bilateral cooperation between our institutions and to further our policing demands that ensure our people are safe and secure in our respective countries,” IGP Munyuza said. The bilateral meeting is guided by the cooperation pact between the two Police institutions signed in 2015 in Kigali, which established channels of partnership on exchange of crime-related information, fighting terrorism, drug and human trafficking, transnational organized crimes as well as skills development and training. Since then, a number of Zambian Police officers have attended the Police Senior Command and Staff Course in Rwanda. IGP Munyuza emphasized the need to establish a permanent mechanism to share experience in various policing disciplines, including peace-support operations in conflict situations on the continent. “Rwanda National Police prioritizes and values, among other aspects, regional and bilateral cooperation aimed at joining efforts in the fight against crimes that continue to pose threats to our countries, continent and international peace and security.” Munyuza further underscored the importance of sharing information to fight terrorism recruitment and cells operating in the Eastern, Central and Southern Africa regions as well as on armed groups that continue to cause insecurity in the region. By mutually cooperating, he said, the citizenry in the two countries will greatly benefit and the policing programmes will undoubtedly be scaled-up towards sustainable peace and security of our countries. In his remarks, the Zambian Police Chief said that the two countries enjoy excellent relationship, and continue to engage in high-level consultations on various issues of strategic importance. “Our two presidents have set a line for us to build on. Our cooperation on police matters have come at the right time when the world is faced with policing challenges of combating the 21st-century crimes; much of which is facilitated by the fast-paced technological evolution and the internet in particular,” IGP Kanganja said. He added: “As men and women in uniform, it is our mandate to ensure safety of our citizens and guarantee protection of their property in order to create a favourable business environment for the growth of our economies. This interaction will no doubt help both countries to explore more opportunities to improve our capabilities to combat cross-border crime.” Information sharing, the Zambian police boss said, will ensure that both Rwanda and Zambia Police institutions function proactively rather than reacting to situations after they have occurred. “As criminals continue devising new methods of committing crime, we should also be able to adapt to the new and advanced ways of policing. Our belief, therefore, is that this security cooperation will continue to grow from strength to strength to enhance our political, economic and social relations, and open up new opportunities to learn from each other,” the Zambian Police Chief said. After the bilateral meeting, the Zambian delegation accompanied by IGP Munyuza, visited Isange One Stop Centre where they were given a tour and an overview of the centre, which offers free medical, psycho-social and legal services to victims of GBV and child abuse. IGP Munyuza poses for a photo with the Zambian delegation at Isange OneStop Centre. During his week-long visit, Kanganja will tour various police establishments including RNP schools, visit Kigali Memorial Centre to pay respect to victims of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi as well as the Campaign against Genocide Museum, among others.
