Kigali, 05 September 2021
 
The Rwanda Defence Force is hosting the first United Nations Engagement platoon pilot course from 1st to 10th September 2021 at Rwanda Military Academy in Gako. The course intends to test course content that has been in the design and development phase for last two years. The course is delivered in English to an RDF engagement platoon generated for the purpose of the pilot project.
 
The Engagement Platoon (EP) is a new capability that the United Nations Department of Peace Operations (UNDPO) introduced, as a new UN doctrinal concept in early 2020 in the United Nations Infantry Battalion Manual (UNIBAM). The doctrine and related training materials of this new capability was designed and developed in close consultation with UN Member States and experts from peacekeeping missions and their feedback and experiences were collected and included in the build-up of the project.
 
The UN DPO intends to share the final products, guidance and training resources, with all UN Member States to inform and guide pre-deployment training phases of deploying Infantry Battalions and their Engagement Platoons and ultimately maximize their use and employment for better mandate implementation. The EP will be a future requirement for all Infantry Units deploying to peacekeeping missions.
 
The main objective of the EP is to establish, support, and promote sustained dialogue with key influencers and local leaders in communities that reside within an Infantry battalion’s area of Operations. An EP, consisting of both men and women, can have access to a larger and more representative sections of the local communities compared to the battalions’ existing organic assets.

The UN Engagement platoon pilot course is conducted and delivered as a joint project between the Office of Military Affairs and the Integrated Training Service of the UN DPO and the government of Canada. To note as well is that this is the first time that the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) send personnel to Rwanda after the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994.