The Rwanda National Police (RNP) and the Botswana Police Service (BPS) have signed a cooperation agreement in Kigali on Monday to formalise partnership in various areas of policing to combat transnational organised crimes.According to a police source, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dan Munyuza and the Acting Commissioner for Botswana Police Service, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Phemelo Ramakorwane.

This was part of the bilateral meeting between the two friendly police institutions held at the RNP General Headquarters at Kacyiru.

DCP Ramakorwane and his delegation are in Rwanda for a week-long visit aimed at strengthening cooperation in various policing disciplines.

The agreement, partly, binds the two police institutions to fight transnational organized crimes, including terrorism and related activities, human trafficking, hi-tech, and cybercrimes as well as exchange of information related to the activities of the criminal elements and modern methods and techniques.

Other areas include training, sharing of expertise and training programmes, and other capacity building related activities.

IGP Munyuza said that the bilateral meeting and the signed MoU are premised on “friendly and excellent relationship” between the two countries under the leadership of President Paul Kagame and his Botswana counterpart Mokgweetsi Masisi.

“As law enforcement agencies, we have to come together and put in place coordinated efforts to address regional and global security threats, that don’t respect borders,” IGP Munyuza said.

Through the formalised partnership, he said, the two institutions will benefit a lot by establishing formal communication channels for efficient cooperation in different areas, including training.

DCP Ramakorwane, on his part, observed that the need to strengthen the existing partnership with Rwanda National Police has become more imperative, especially with the advent of technology, which has rendered public security challenges more dynamic and complex to solve.

“This is a significant milestone and an important vehicle towards the effective tackling of transnational crimes affecting not only our two countries, but also the region at large; such as human trafficking, drug trafficking, terrorism and high tech crimes,” DCP Ramakorwane said.