Kinshasa, 21 March 2011 – Some 50 senior military officers of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), most of them majors and lieutenant-colonels, visited the Force of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) at the Mission's Headquarters in Kinshasa on 21 March. The officers had just ended their induction training at the Kinshasa military academy.

Their visit was to acquaint themselves with the concept of peacekeeping. They were briefed on MONUSCO's political spectrum by Mr. Achi Atsain, Deputy Director, Political Affairs after which the Force Commander, through the Force's Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Philippe Beny, briefed them on the Mission's mandate and its overall functioning mechanism involving both its civilian and military components. He explained the complexities of the Force's role and the responsibilities of all the partners involved.

Referring to the senior military officers, Brigadier General Philippe Beny described them as "officers who will one day be responsible for the training of the future 'elite' of the National Armed Forces (FARDC)."

The exchange with the senior military graduates was successful as it helped to dispel grey areas in the relationship between MONUSCO and FARDC on the one hand and all the partners involved in the implementation of the UN Stabilization mandate in the DRC on the other.

A contribution by the Force of MONUSCO