COMMISSIONER of the Lesotho Mounted Police Service (LMPS), Holomo Molibeli has described the Rwanda National Police (RNP) as a suitable partner for learning and development in policing.

He made these remarks on August 29 as he concluded his week-long visit to Rwanda where he among others, signed a joint communiqué with his Rwandan counterpart, Inspector General of Police Dan Munyuza, to cooperate for a better policing environment.

He was in Rwanda at the invitation of Inspector General Munyuza.

In his remarks, Commissioner Molibeli said: “The objective of the visit was to establish cooperation in policing between the RNP and the LMPS by identifying areas of mutual interest.”

The pact signed by the two police chiefs on August 24 during a bilateral meeting that was held at the RNP general headquarters in Kacyiru highlighted the importance of cooperation in policing.

“Cooperation in the field of policing constitutes one of the important spheres of bilateral relations to serve the parties’ common interest and to contribute to the peace and stability of the respective countries,” reads the joint communiqué signed by the two police bosses.

The memorandum of understanding they signed on behalf of their respective institutions, formerly laid down key areas of cooperation and collaboration in policing matters.

The pact brings the two police institutions together to combat terrorism, drug trafficking, organised and transnational crimes as well as capacity building in community policing and exchange of information and expertise.

Other areas highlighted by the two institutions include joint training, operations and expertise development, sharing advanced training programmes in crime investigations, crime intelligence and records management; combating proliferation of small arms and light weapons; timely exchange of information on criminals and criminal activities.

The two parties also agreed to establish a permanent forum at operational level to frequently meet and discuss “ever-evolving threats and security challenges affecting the two countries and the region and explore other ways in which the two institutions may collaborate.

For his part, Inspector General Munyuza said the visit was timely as the region is facing violent Islamic extremism such as terrorist activities in Cabo Delgado, Northern Mozambique.

“We shall be sharing information and intelligence since our two countries have forces fighting terrorists in Mozambique,” he said.