144 Rwanda National Police (RNP) officers took off from Kigali International Airport for Juba, South Sudan Tuesday morning according to RNP.
“The mandate of the FPU contingent will be protecting civilians from eminent threats, public order management, protection of UN key installations and personnel, and humanitarian assistance,” said RNP spokesperson, ACP Theos Badege
The RNP spokesperson added that the officers were well trained and well-equipped to counter the mission challenges and effectively execute their duties.
The security officers will be serving under the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) constitute a Formed Police Unit (FPU) contingent of 160 under RWAFPU II-1, an additional force that joins RWAFPU II hybrid of 240 officers. There are also 29 other Rwandan officers working as ‘Police Advisors’ under UNMISS.
Rwanda’s Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana urged the officers on Sunday to stay focused to their mission mandate with professionalism and maximum discipline.
“Maintaining the police doctrines, national values, respecting and looking out for each other is part of our tradition to success that should define your daily operations during your one year peacekeeping mandate,” IGP Gasana said
This new FPU contingent brings the number of Rwandan police peacekeepers in all missions to about 1200 personnel with three of the missions in Central African Republic (CAR) and one in Haiti, each composed of 140 officers.
#RNP deploys second FPU contingent to South Sudan. https://t.co/bgmSwDUNs7 pic.twitter.com/lyISzhVam0
— Rwanda National Police (@Rwandapolice) April 5, 2017
