Rwanda | Musanze: EAC MILITARY OFFICERS BEGIN ETHICAL TRAINING AT NYAKINAMA.
Thirty military officers from the East African Community member states on Monday 05/03/2012 officially kicked off an international course on Military Ethics and the Law of Armed Conflict at the Rwanda Military Academy Nyakinama.
While delivering speech during commencement of the course in Musanze District- North Province of Rwanda, Brig. Gen Jacques Musemakweri, head of RDF civil-military relations department (J5), asked participants to take responsible decisions in intense situations where ‘time is usually short and people’s lives are at risk.
The three weeks training that opened yesterday is facilitated by the Dutch and aims at enhancing professionalism in the areas of humanitarian and peace support operations.
The Netherlands Ambassador, Frans Makken, who also attended the observance, commended the RDF for recognizing the need to organize the training aimed at promoting peace and security and ensuring ethics during armed conflicts adding that RDF’s professional conduct should be copied by all member state forces.
“This course brings closer the objective that you will be increasingly be more capable of solving African problems in Africa with other African forces,†Makken said.
The deputy commandant of Rwanda military academy Col. Innocent Kabandana said that this training is an opportunity for RDF to learn more tactics and increase knowledge on international humanitarian law.
Col. Kabandana added that the training is taking place in Rwanda because Rwanda defence forces are recognized as experienced forces in the region.
Rwanda defence forces (RDF) considers education and training programmes as the primary means of ensuring in-service development and maintaining a high level of professionalism.
Besides, the RDF recognises the trends in regional and international security as well as the whole range contingences that may require employment of the defence force.
This is the second intake trained on the same law known as International Humanitarian Law (IHL).