Bunia, 2 June 2012 – Twenty-five officers and non-commissioned officers of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) underwent five days of training on sexual violence. The training, which started on Thursday, 7 June, also addressed the issues of human rights, child protection, gender, and the military code of conduct.

The training, which was organized by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), in collaboration with the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), aimed at enabling the participants to combat sexual violence against women. The trainees were expected to transfer the knowledge acquired to the rest of the troops in the operational area of the Ituri district.

During the opening session, the District Commissioner, Freddy Bosomba, expressed hope that the training would help improve the perception of the FARDC, which has been tarnished by unlawful acts such as mass rapes and other gross human rights violations. For his part, the head of MONUSCO's Ituri Office, Mhand Ladjouzi, emphasized the importance of this workshop which, he said, was organized in the framework of the security sector reform in the DRC. The opening ceremony was presided by General José Mulupi, responsible for civic education within the FARDC.

Bilamekaso Tchagbele/ MONUSCO