Regional Police officers complete training on arms marking

A Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) training on repairing and maintenance of firearms marking machines ended on January 20 at the Rwanda Police Training School (PTS) in Gishari, Rwamagana District with a call for states to implement the Nairobi Protocol.

The Nairobi Protocol requires RECSA member states to adopt measures to prevent, control and reduce SALW within the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and bordering states.

Commissioner of Police (CP) John Bosco Kabera, the commandant of PTS noted that marking small arms and light weapons is vital for the control of firearms.

“This will help to regulate the proliferation of firearms and prevent any likely disaster that might arise out of unregulated and illicit firearms that end up in hands of wrong people and groups,” CP Kabera said.

Fifteen police officers took part in the three-day training in which participants also share situations of their work in their respective countries, achievements, best practices and challenges faces as means to overcome them.

CP Kabera urged the trainees to put the acquired skills to use for the good of their respective countries and the region in general adding that RECSA is always welcome to conduct its courses at RNP training centres.

The RECSA regional training centre will also be constructed in Rwanda with a plot of land already provided at the Police Training School in Gishari.

Samuel Dusengimana, the legal adviser of RECSA commended the existing partnership wish police institutions.

He further thanked Rwanda for hosting the training and others that happened before, and being among the countries that have implemented the Nairobi protocol.

Rwanda has so far marked all its arms among other requirements as per the protocol requirement.

The Nairobi Protocol, in its article 7, also requires member countries to mark all legal owned forearms to ensure accountability and easy traceability, and RECSA has for the last ten years helped member countries to acquire arms marking machines.

One of the trainees, Martin Garang from South Sudan, who spoke on behalf of all participants, also said that the training was essential at the time the region is facing conflicts, most of which are facilitated by illicit firearms.

UM– USEKE.RW