KIGALI, Rwanda
Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Tanzania Police Force (TPF) held a bilateral meeting in Kigali, on Tuesday September 7, which mainly forced on strengthening cooperation against cross-border crimes especially terrorism.
The
bilateral meeting held at the RNP General Headquarters in Kacyiru was
co-chaired by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza and his counterpart
of Tanzania, Inspector General Simon Sirro.
IGP
Sirro and his delegation are in Rwanda since Monday for a four-day visit aimed
at further strengthening ties between the two friendly Police institutions.
The
bilateral meeting followed another one held in Tanzania in May.
Speaking
during the bilateral meeting, IGP Munyuza thanked his counterpart for honouring
the invitation, which he described as a “sign of mutual trust and existing
friendship between our two countries.”
He
commended the existing cooperation framework especially in information flow on
terror activities in the region and particularly in Cabo Delgado, Mozambique,
which lies on the border with Tanzania in the south.
“During
the course of the operations against terrorists in Cabo Delgado, in which
forces of our two countries are involved, we have collected information on
ground, either from captured terrorists or those killed in action, which we
have been sharing with you as we endeavour to devise strategies to secure our
region against violent terrorists that continue to kill innocent people in our
region and make thousands homeless and refugees in their own countries,” IGP
Munyuza said.
As
the terrorists continue to lose ground in Mozambique, IGP Munyuza said, there
is need to carefully establish networks in the region and share timely
information on their next course of action.
“More
than ever before, we need to work together to update our approaches, especially
in controlling our borders against movement of radical Muslims and be able to
detect movement of likely terror materials in our region. Terrorists fleeing
from their hideouts in Mozambique may infiltrate our borders and establish
cells in our countries or in neighbouring countries” IGP Munyuza said.
He
observed that fighting terrorism is a complex war that no country can defeat
alone largely because their recruitment and execution of terror activities is
done online and facilitated by technology.
“We
are, therefore, compelled to neither give them chances for their networks to
develop in our countries nor a haven to use our territories to threaten
security in our region. We need to stay a step ahead of the terrorists all the
time.”
This
struggle against terrorism, he said, should be at the top of the agenda for the
Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO) to simplify
operational information exchange and conduct joint operations against
terrorists to address and avoid the gap between terrorist threat and the
collective response to defeat terrorists.
Tanzania
is the current chair of the 14-member regional bloc.
IGP
Munyuza reiterated Rwanda National Police commitment and closer cooperation
with Tanzania Police Force and the region in combatting other cross-border and
transnational crimes.
“Our
cooperation is a testimony to a functioning Police cooperation between our
countries as we continue to fight violent extremism and transnational organized
crimes. I am sure even criminals are aware that they cannot plan to destabilise
Tanzania from Rwanda and/or destabilise Rwanda using Tanzania. Criminals need
to constantly hear this message,” IGP Munyuza
On
his part, IGP Sirro said: “We have a challenge of terrorism; it is high time we
deal with it. We must always be alert. Whenever we get information from Rwanda,
we immediately act on it. I can assure you that through the information from
Rwanda, we have managed to arrest many suspects.”
He
added that Tanzania will not lie down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We
still have to work hard and following the new precautions given by health
authorities.”
IGP
Sirro congratulated RNP for the maintenance of law and order in Rwanda, which
he said it enables people to work free and comfortably for the develop of their
nation.
The
bilateral meeting is in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed
between Rwanda National Police (RNP) and Tanzania Police Force (TPF) in 2012 to
cooperate and collaborate in security related matters, including joint
exercises, operations, training and timely exchange of security information.
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