Visit to Rwanda Peace Academy （September 9th, 2013）

 


（Left: Completed Rwanda Peace Academy, Right: Ambassador Ogawa (3rd left) and Guest Speakers at the opening ceremony for PSO foundation course)

(Left: Ambassador Ogawa giving his speech, Right:Ambassador Ogawa with trainees in PSO foundation course)

Ambassador’s speech for the opening ceremony for Peace Support Operations Foundation Course
Article in “The New Times”

On September 9th, Ambassador Ogawa visited “Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA)” which was supported by Japan’s supplementary budget in fiscal year 2007 through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The Government of Japan contributed 3 million US dollars to support constructing “RPA Training Facility”, training for the new employees of RPA and research needs for training in RPA. The construction of RPA Training Facility started in October 2011, and completed at the end of 2012. Since 2010, RPA has been offering peacekeeping training course borrowing class rooms at the Rwanda Military Academy situated next to the RPA planned site. The completion of RPA Training Facility at the end of 2012 enables RPA staffs to provide their own training course without any constraint. In order not to duplicate training course within the other peacekeeping operations centers in the East African region (Kenya and Ethiopia), RPA is providing training course mainly in “support of consolidation” under consideration of learning from the past experience of Rwanda.

On the same day, supported by GIZ of Germany, the “Peace Support Operations (PSO) Foundation Course” for members of Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) was also held at the RPA Training Facility. Ambassador Ogawa made a speech at the opening ceremony of the course, stating that the Government of Japan has been supporting peace and social stability of Africa through TICAD process. He also mentioned that he was pleased to see the facility fully utilized, while commending the GIZ’s role in supporting the PSO course. Lastly, he encouraged the trainees and wished them a good success.