Thirty-four senior Police officers from nine African countries currently attending the 13th intake of the Police Senior Command and Staff Course (PSCSC), on Friday, May 16, visited Kigali Genocide Memorial where they laid wreaths in honour of more than one million people killed during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The visit to the memorial and other sites in Kigali was part of the PSCSC one year programme that equips participants with advanced knowledge and skills in strategic leadership, and a master’s in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation.
The senior officers are from Rwanda, South Sudan, Kenya, Namibia, Lesotho, Malawi, Somalia, Central African Republic, and Botswana.
They also visited the Museum for Campaign Against Genocide at the Parliamentary Building, and Testing and Licensing Department in Busanza, Kicukiro District.
“Visiting the Genocide memorial forms a crucial part of the Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation module. It enables learners to understand conflicts rooted in identity such as ethnicity, and the consequences of identity-based hatred,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Modeste Bisangwa, the PSCSC coordinator.
At the Campaign against Genocide Museum, the students learned how the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) sacrificed to stop the Genocide following the withdrawal of United Nations peacekeepers, who left the targeted Tutsi population vulnerable to mass killings.
Bashana Medard, the Museum manager, emphasized the core lessons shared with the officers.
“When they come, we teach them four important things: the first is to show them how the genocide was planned, implemented, and stopped by the RPA forces while the United Nations had abandoned us. The second is a good opportunity to learn the history that marked our country and preserve the achievements so that we do not return to where we have come from. The third is to say no — let it not happen again in Rwanda and anywhere else in the world. The fourth is to learn the values of those who stopped the genocide.”
At the Testing and Licensing centre they got insights into how Rwanda National Police has leveraged technology to enhance service delivery, ensure efficiency, and serve citizens better.
“It reflects the broader progress our country has made in governance, innovation, and public service delivery,” ACP Bisangwa said. (End)