On 20 October, 3 Operation (OPS)/Quality Assurance (QA) officers from UNMAS DRC has started providing the 10 day ‘Arms Search’ training course to two ‘34 MR Military of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC)’teams, each consisting of 6 soldiers at Goma in North Kivu.

The North Kivu governor announced FARDC would launch the operation entitled ‘Masisi Sans Armes (Weapons Free Masisi)’before the early November, and as part of the operation, directed it to detect arms caches and collect weapons from illegal armed groups. The territory is known to have been hub for piles of arms caches, resulting from intensive operations of illegal armed groups such as March 23 (M23), Alliance of Patriots of Free and Sovereign Congo (APCLS) and MayiMayi groups.

The FARDC selected 16 out of 70 candidates for the course, amongst whom 12 joined the training eventually. Subsequently, UNMAS was requested from the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo (MONUSCO) to equip FARDC trainees with understanding on theories and practical techniques on locating arms caches and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) upon request. Following topics have been covered in the course; equipment usage, searching techniques, command and control, site setup, administration, recording and reporting of daily activities and security during operations. The trainees will be examined on their performance after the course. Then instructors from UNMAS are planned to shadow trainees and in following provide mentoring and on the job training (OJT) on their first 2 operational tasks, with the aim of enabling them to become fully operational.

UNMAS DRC supports MONUSCO’s strategic priorities of: “Security and Protection of Civilians” and concept of ‘Islands of Stability’ through “Stabilisation of Conflict Affected Areas”. In particular, it supports MONUSCO on eliminating threats posed against civilians through development of an effective State security institution.