Matadi, 6 November 2012 – A second session of the basic training on community policing techniques of the Congolese National Police force was launched on 5 November 2012.

Attended by 300 police elements, among which 30 women, the training is taking place at the Mvula training centre some forty kilometres from Matadi, the provincial capital of Bas-Congo.

The opening ceremony of this second wave of training was chaired by the interim governor of Bas-Congo, Déo Nkusu, and was attended by local authorities, several representatives of the British Corporation and a strong delegation from the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) headed by the interim Coordinator of the United Nations Joint Office in Bas-Congo, Tettekpoe Assiongbon Richard. These six-month training programmes are part of the reform initiative of the Congolese National Police.

The first group of police officers was trained a little over a year ago. Their role in the fight against insecurity is highly appreciated by the different communities of the Zanzan commune in this seaport city of Bas-Congo province, the only provincial capital with access to the sea in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

MONUSCO police is actively involved in this activity in line with Resolutions 1925 and 1991 of the Security Council, which mandate the Mission to support the capacity-building of the Congolese National Police.

Maïmouna Traoré/ MONUSCO