17 Senior Officers graduate from two-week training at Rwanda Peace Academy

Seventeen senior officers from Seven African countries and the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) have completed a two-week training at the Rwanda Peace Academy located in Nyakinama, Musanze District.

The training, which ended on Friday, September 19, 2025, was designed for instructors who will go on to train others in their respective countries, with the goal of enhancing knowledge and skills in peacekeeping and security operations worldwide.

The program ran from September 8 to September 19, 2025, with 17 participants , 16 men and one woman. They emphasized that the knowledge gained will help them train their fellow officers, particularly battalion commanders, as they prepare for deployment in peacekeeping missions in different conflict zones.

Lt Col Bosco Nkamira Munyamashashi said: “What I have gained from this two-week training is learning how a battalion commander should prepare troops for peacekeeping missions, whether in East Africa, other parts of Africa, or globally. We were trained as instructors who will teach others how to prepare battalions. This will help Rwanda and all the participating countries to have well-prepared forces, capable of peacekeeping operations and protecting civilians wherever they are deployed.”

This was echoed by Lt Col Laurence Githaiga Ng’aNg’a of the Kenya Defense Forces, who noted: “The training we have just completed was particularly important because it prepared us as instructors who will train others. The course itself is a significant step in strengthening our ability to protect peace and achieve the goals of the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF).”

At the closing ceremony, participants were awarded certificates of completion.

Brig Gen Andrew Nyamvumba, the Commandant of the Staff College based in Nyakinama, commended the officers for their commitment throughout the course. He highlighted that the training represents another milestone in building the capacity of instructors and leaders capable of guiding battalions in peacekeeping missions and civilian protection.

He said: “Today, as we close this two-week training, I want to applaud each of you for your dedication. This course is highly valuable both to you and to us as a whole, because it provided in-depth knowledge on how to train others in peacekeeping and battalion leadership. We expect you to put this knowledge into practice in your home countries, to support and train others as you were trained here.”

The 17 senior officers came from Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia,Djibouti, Comoros, Kenya, Rwanda, and the EASF. As part of their training, they also visited different sites in Rwanda, including the Kigali Genocide Memorial at Gisozi, where they learned about the country’s journey of rebuilding and reconciliation in the 31 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.