African Integrated Peace Operations Course kicks off in Rwanda

The ‘African Integrated Peace Operations’ a five-day course bringing together civilians, military and police, aimed at improving the knowledge and competencies of the participants in matters of integrated crisis management started on May 7, in Kigali, Rwanda.

In his opening address, Brig Gen Jean-Baptiste Ngiruwonsanga, the head of Peace Support Operations of the Rwanda Defence Force, highlighted the importance of collaboration and common understanding among military, police and civilians of issues of integrated crisis management and how best to deliver their respective functions taking into account the need to work in synergy. Other speakers during the opening ceremony also reiterated on the importance of effective coordination in integrated missions.

The ‘African Integrated Peace Operations Course’ is being organized by the Finnish Defence Forces International Centre (FINCENT), the Ministry of Defence through the Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA), and the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Secretariat. The course is aimed at enhancing the participants’ capability to formulate plans, exchange information, coordinate and network with all the various components implicated in an integrated mission. It is expected that this will reduce hindrances and promote effective collaboration in future integrated missions.

A total of 34 participants from the police, military and civilian components from nine Eastern Africa Standby Force, namely Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, and Uganda are attending the course.