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Southern Africa: Riot Police Graduate
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Mmegi/The Reporter (Gaborone)
14 April 2008
Posted to the web 15 April 2008
Bame Piet
Gaborone
Otse Police College was a hive of activity on Friday as completing trainee police offers demonstrated how to quell a riot in trouble-torn countries. The 67 graduates had just completed a weeklong French joint peacekeeping course for Botswana (22), Lesotho (20), and South Africa (25).
The coordinator of the course, a French police officer, explained that the trainees were taught how to deal with rioters. In the scene, 100 "rioting football fans" who were carrying sticks and stones, start destabilising the game at the stadium and later go on a rampage, looting a shop. But before much damage is done police use teargas to disperse the rioters and arrest them.
At the occasion were French ambassadors to Botswana and South Africa, South African High Commission officials, Commissioner of Lesotho Police, Acting Commissioner of the Botswana Police Service (BPS) and senior officers from South African Police Service (SAPS).
Botswana Police had brought in their anti-riot police Land Rovers whilst their counterparts from South Africa brought three RG 12 bullet-proof anti-riot trucks from Mafikeng in the North West Province.
The officials from the three countries thanked the French Embassy for organising the course, urging the trainees to use their skills when they return to their respective stations. BPS acting Commissioner Ikwathaeng Bagopi said that sometimes the police are criticised for using excessive force when they deal with hooligans. He said that in many situations they run away only to resurface later at the courts to give twisted evidence to destroy state cases. He said that the electronic media capture worst footages that are often overused to depict alleged police brutality.
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He said internal disputes needed to be controlled at an early stage before they became global problems and the only people best to do so were police officers. He called for standard training in fields such as riot control so that Africa does not lag behind the rest of the world. He commended the French Embassy for coordinating the course and revealed that there were 25 police officers currently studying French.
Lesotho Commissioner of Police Evelyn Letoane said that the three countries needed the course because they had a global role to play in the preservation of world peace and security. She said that the three countries were members of international organisations such as the United Nations (UN), African Union (AU), and Southern African Development Community (SADC). She commended both the trainees and the trainers for showing commitment to the course.
The French Ambassador to Botswana, Jean-Pierre Courtois said that he was impressed with the trainees' performance and that he was confident they would be able to handle dangerous riots should they occur in the future.
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