The Korean National Police Agency is building a cooperation framework with Rwanda to counter transnational crime and expand its policing network across Africa.

The agency said it held a Korea-Rwanda police chiefs’ summit at its headquarters in Seodaemun District, Seoul, on the 20th and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen policing cooperation between the two countries. The aim is to formalize a basis for cooperation with Rwanda, a leader in policing in Africa, and to jointly respond to transnational crime that is growing more sophisticated and wide-ranging.

Police from the two countries agreed to share intelligence on transnational crime such as terrorism, drug offenses and cybercrime, and to strengthen international cooperation on the arrest and repatriation of fugitives who have fled abroad.

Rwanda has led regional policing cooperation, including chairing meetings of the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organization (EAPCCO). The Korean agency plans to use Rwanda’s existing network to extend its international policing network beyond East Africa to the rest of the continent.

The two sides will also step up cooperation to protect Korean nationals and companies operating in Rwanda. The agency asked Rwandan police for active cooperation in ensuring the safety of resident Koreans, business people in the information and communication technology (ICT) and construction sectors, officials involved in official development assistance (ODA), and non-governmental organization (NGO) volunteers. The two countries plan to strengthen a system for sharing security intelligence so they can respond quickly when incidents occur.

They will also expand police education, training and personnel exchanges. Five Rwandan police officers are currently enrolled at the Police Science Institute of the Korean National Police University, three of whom will receive master’s degrees on the 21st.

Cooperation will also broaden in United Nations peacekeeping. Rwanda dispatches a large number of police officers to UN peacekeeping operations, and Korean police plan to send two officers to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) within the year. The two countries agreed to share peacekeeping experience and local security intelligence going forward.

Yoo Jae-sung, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said the MOU would allow the two countries’ police to respond more effectively to transnational crime and to cooperate closely for the safety of their citizens.