The Regional Lessons Learnt Workshop and the Regional Lead Trainers’ Course on Prevention of Recruitment and Use of Children in Armed Violence commenced today at the Rwanda Peace Academy (RPA) in Musanze.

The Regional workshop and course will be attended by twenty-eight (28) military, police and civilian personnel drawn from eight African countries, namely: the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Uganda as well as the Dallaire Institute, and the Eastern Africa Standby Force (EASF) Headquarter.

The one-week training was officially opened by the Executive Director of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, Dr. Shelly Whitman. Maj Gen (Rtd) Ferdinand Safari the Director of Dallaire Institute Africa Centre of Excellence for Children, Peace and Security was present at the opening ceremony. The Director of the Rwanda Peace Academy, Col (Rtd) Jill Rutaremara was represented by the  Head of Training at the RPA, Lt Col Frank Kagarama during the opening ceremony. 

The aim of the Lessons Learnt Workshop is to facilitate the exchange of lessons learnt from different training sessions conducted in 2025 in different countries, that include the DR Congo, Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and South Sudan, as well as the African Union Institutions, and to use those lessons to improve future training delivery. 

On the other hand, the Regional Lead Trainers’ Course will strengthen knowledge and delivery skills, and update the Dallaire Institute’s regional trained trainers, and get their feedback on the reviewed training materials on prevention of recruitment and use of children in armed conflict.

The training that will run up to 20 February 2026, was jointly organised by the Ministry of Defence, the Rwanda Defence Force, the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security, and the Rwanda Peace Academy.