Goma & Beni, 1st - 3rd April 2014 – MONUSCO Deputy-Police Chief, Colonel Tabasky Diouf paid a working visit to Goma and Beni. The purpose of the visit was to make an assessment of the relocation and installation processes respectively for SEN FPU-2 (Senegalese formed police unit) in Goma and IND FPU-2 (Indian formed police unit) in Beni as well as evaluate the ongoing work on the site due to host the new MONUSCO Police HQ in Goma.

Upon arriving in Goma, Colonel Diouf, accompanied by the UNPOL sector chief, visited the site identified to host the SEN FPU. Currently 57 logistic unit staff live in an unfurnished space and due to delay, SENFPU will not be operational before two to three months. Colonel Diouf highlighted the negative effect of the delay which prevents the 125 police members of the two FPU units, previously based in Kinshasa and Kananga, from being redeployed in Goma. Unlike Goma, the situation in Beni is not chaotic; INDFPU camp is large and better; work is almost completed and the installed unit is operational.

During his working sessions in Goma and Beni, MONUSCO Deputy-Police Chief thanked UNPOL: “I thank you for the work accomplished and encourage you to show more commitment, discipline and professionalism in a context of budget posts reduction whereby excellence and merit will be acknowledged and magnified by UNPOL hierarchy through implementing the guidelines and strategies.” Colonel Diouf and UNPOL thereafter paid a courtesy visit to the PNC Provincial Commissioner. During the visit, PNC and UNPOL recalled the excellent collaboration existing between them and insisted on the importance for enhancing PNC’s capacity.