The Inspector General of Police, Emmanuel K. Gasana has urged police officers who will be deployed in Haiti under the Formed Police Unit 3 (FPU3) to observe discipline and execute their duties professionally.
He said this on September 26 during the pre-deployment briefing held at the police General Headquarters in Kacyiru.
“Execute your duties professionally and strive to raise our country’s flag high to make Rwanda a replica country. Rwanda has earned itself a good name on the international scene,” IGP said.
A contingent of 160 officers under FPU3 is set to depart for the mission on September 27 to serve under the UN Mission for Stabilization in Haiti (MINUSTAH) mandate.
The contingent led by Chief Supt Desire Twizere will replace the same number under Formed Police Unit 2 (FPU) which successfully completed its nine months mandate and scheduled to return on September 28.
FPUs, among others, provide humanitarian assistance, conduct patrols and guard VIPs and key installations.
They also help in crowd control and provide security of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
The maiden FPU1 contingent comprising of 160 police officers was deployed in Haiti in January 30, 2011 and was replaced by the same number under FPU2 on December 15, 2011.
The mission was deployed mainly to oversee relief activities after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the country in 2010, killing over 200,000 people and leaving millions homeless.
Rwanda National Police maintains over 450 peacekeepers serving under the UN missions in Liberia, Ivory Coast, Darfur, South Sudan and Haiti.
Rwanda, whose officers have been awarded for their professionalism and discipline in executing their mission duties by the UN, was ranked the eighth country in providing police peacekeepers worldwide by the international community.
The UN also ranked Rwanda the first out of 84 countries in providing female individual police officers.
The United Nations has also requested Rwanda to deploy a contingent of FPU in Liberia next year.
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