The PANAFRICAN Review
the two means understanding security broadly . When this is done , you quickly understand that it requires a multisectoral approach ; otherwise , you can ’ t be successful fighting the multidimensional aspects of security . The moment you understand this , collaboration becomes a clear necessity .
We understood right from the word go that the people are the primary beneficiaries of a good security environment and that , to achieve it , you cannot forget their involvement ( the community ) in the production of security . We have worked together with the community to produce the security we enjoy today .
On why the army and police are among the most trusted institutions in Rwanda
Public perception of the security forces is important insofar as the security of the country is concerned . If there ’ s poor perception , even a small threat will escalate into big problems . Therefore , when public perception goes down , insecurity goes up . When you have a positive perception , insecurity goes down .
People used to be scared of armed forces because they used to harass and kill them . But today , as an institution , we donate blood and other medical supplies , houses and other material support to vulnerable people . When we do such work , it shows we are ready to give our lives to the people . All these are critical in the context of the doctrine and ideology .
On winning the trust of the people
Part of our doctrine , since the days of the RPA , is to ensure that the perception of the security organs is positive , and you achieve this when you collaborate with other institutions and communities and when you deliver .
Take the example of the insurgency in the northern region after the war and the genocide in 1994 . It was defeated by a population that had changed its perception of the security forces because of their conduct towards the people . The community people shifted from being hostile and began to provide information that helped us to defeat the insurgency .
Because of our doctrine , we know that political and community mobilisation must be in place for anything else to work .
Delivering also matters . It ’ s visionary leadership that delivers . We are operating from an environment that offers a clear definition and execution of strategic objectives while winning the hearts and minds of the people and reassuring them about their future .
On the culture of solving problems
The RPA was involved in solving problems . It was doing everything . Because institutions were totally destroyed , the RPA had to do everything from running the military to administration , justice , health , etc . It was the only institution around , as it were . We didn ’ t necessarily have the skills for those tasks , but because of this ideology , we could fill the gap quickly . We were solving problems , most importantly . But with time , these solutions were institutionalised .
An example of how these duties became institutionalised is the Rwanda National Police that came into force in 2000 . The leadership saw a problem with the gendarmerie that was in place and said , “ We must build civil police .” I am grateful that the president deployed me as the first Inspector General of Police ( IGP ). I took that opportunity , together with my colleagues , to build the new force from the Gendarmerie , Police Communale and Police Judiciare . We had to build one force with a clear ideology and doctrine . I had not been a policeman . But we knew we had to build a law enforcement agency that the people would trust . We did this to overcome the negative perception associated with these three organs that we had inherited .
Today , the people in Sudan and other countries where our forces are deployed say that our police go above and beyond law enforcement . They provide conditions for lasting security .
On inter-agency collaboration and a sense of common purpose
It is about different agencies working together for a common goal of providing solutions to
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