The Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Johnston Busingye said that security, political and socio-economic dynamics in African have a bearing on the continent’s state of security.
He said that if security institutions engage especially in human security aspect as its fulcrum upon which efforts towards development are anchored, the outcome will lead to progress, which is the ultimate objective that countries are struggling for.
Minister Busingye made the remarks this Thursday while presiding over the annual symposium on Peace, Security and Justice held at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru.
The symposium, which is part of the ‘Police Senior Command and Staff Course’ at the National Police College (NPC) based in Musanze District, was held under the theme: “Mainstreaming Human Security in the new Security Landscape: A Holistic Approach to Sustainable Peace and Development.”
It was organized for the sixth intake of the Senior Command Course attended by 28 senior police students from eight African countries, namely, Ethiopia, Kenya, Namibia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda, the host.
Minister Busingye said that Africa is not short of strategies, programmes, projects, material and human resources necessary to propel it to the next level.
“Africa is still aid dependent, has some of the worst poverty and illiteracy levels, her infrastructure is vastly undeveloped, intra Africa trade is vastly low, we are not investing in collective and comprehensive security as a prerequisite for collective progress. Africa is still coexisting with some of the worst corruption indices and struggling to overcome reliance on ethnic and tribal identity to thrive in a rapid globalizing world,” he said.
He, however, said that the continental free trade area Africa is now trying to realize, the free movement of persons and the collective security arrangements are part of the human security paradigm of ensuring security, progress and liberation.
The Minister of Defense, Gen. James Kabarebe, who tackled the ‘evolving role of military forces in human security’, said that “Rwanda security forces are umbilically coded in the founding ideology of the Rwanda Patriotic Front and will not deviate from that.”
“Rwanda security organs live with the population…we are all part of the population, we give back to our people and this has tremendously increased the trust that the people have in our security organs. We remain at the frontline of collaborating with other institutions to drive a positive change and protect Rwandans,” Gen Kabarebe said.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Emmanuel K. Gasana, who also discussed on ‘people-centered policing and human security – Rwanda National Police’s Community Policing Model as a case study,’ emphasised that the proactive policing and human security go hand-in-hand and maintaining the duo in the current security landscape is a must do business.
“Community Policing is one of the better strategies that we have prioritised in partnership with other partner institutions in security, justice, health, governance & private entities to address concerns that lead to crime & improve public welfare,” IGP Gasana said.
Renowned pan-Africanist and Director of Kenya School of Law, Prof. Patrick Loch OTIENO Lumumba, who was one of the panelists, who tackled ‘good governance as a critical necessity to enable human security, said that the “existence of a well coordinated governance enhances the quality of public security and people’s wellbeing,” adding that “good governance is at the very heart of human security
Other panelists included the CEO of Rwanda Governance Board, Prof. Anastase Shyaka, who discussed on ‘operationalising human security-Rwanda’s homegrown initiatives in perspective; Kenya’s Dr. Ochieng Kamudhayi, who looked on the ‘evolutionary nature of security and corresponding challenges-locating human security in theory and practice; and Josephine Ajema Odera, who tackled the concept of “mainstreaming gender in Africa’s human security framework.”
The conference was also attended by heads and representatives of security, justice and academic institutions as well as Police Senior Command participants and students from the Institute of Legal Practice and Development, among others.
The commandant of NPC, Commissioner of Police (CP) Felix Namuhoranye said that different course lectures covered by the students, advanced learning activities, internal and external study tours and the symposium are organized to enhance their understanding and expand their analytical capacity.
“This symposium answers questions like ‘how did the concept of security evolve in theory and practice and the role of security organs in its betterment? What can be done to keep pace with human security in the face of an ever-changing security landscape,” the commandant said.
The State Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Community, Amb. Olivier Nduhungirehe, while speaking at the closing of the symposium, emphasised that human security plays key role in ensuring sustainable peace and development of each nation.
“Rwanda put human security at the core of her socio-economic development as well as supporting and empowering the vulnerable groups,” Amb. Nduhungirehe said.
He cited Imihigo that makes leaders accountable to the people, Agaciro Development Fund that equally drives towards self-reliance, monthly communal work Umuganda as some of the aspects the government adopted to address issues of human security.
The Express News
