Uvira, 13 May 2016 – At the initiative of the Public Information Section of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), the students of “Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural, ISDR-Uvira” recently elected members of the club to serve as interface between MONUSCO and their School.

The Public Information Section of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC, MONUSCO-Uvira, organized on Friday 13 May 2016 at the Meeting Hall “8^e CEPAC” (Community of Pentecostal Churches in Central Africa) a session on the dissemination of the last UNSC Resolution (2277) on the DRC for a hundred students from “Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural, ISDR d’Uvira”. The main outlines of the Resolution were reviewed, especially civilians’ protection – MONUSCO’s top priorities: DRC’s stabilization, support to the electoral process as well as defense and promotion of human rights. The highlight of the session was the establishment of the very first “Club of MONUSCO’s Friends” in the School. The Head of the Public Information/MONUSCO-Uvira said the initiative – with students’ large membership, is aimed to: bring the students to adhere to the United Nations ideals in general and to MONUSCO’s actions in particular. The United Nations Mission is often wrongly criticized in DR Congo as a result of misunderstanding and ignorance of its mandate from its critics. In spite of the different communication mediums in place to inform the population, information does not always reach the targets on time.

The role of the Club “MONUSCO’s Friends” will consist in improving the dissemination of information regarding the Mission in this alma mater. The school will also reinforce collaboration between MONUSCO and the students’ population, as recommended by the UNSC on the DRC. Made up of 3 peers-elected volunteers (a president, a secretary and a public relations officer), the Clubs to be established in other schools will serve as interface between MONUSCO and the students’ communities. In collaboration with MONUSCO Public Information, the clubs will organize activities around the United Nations ideals and other topical issues, inter alia: the electoral process, Gender-based violence, Parity, Governance, Peace and development, natural resource exploitation, etc.

Régine M’lenda Abigael, leader of the Club “MONUSCO’s Friends” in ISDR-Uvira explained why she competed for this position: “I heard a lot of talks about MONUSCO; I did not know much about it. I noticed that many young people adopt a negative attitude towards MONUSCO because they do not know what MONUSCO is concretely doing. After receiving explanations from the session, we realized that MONUSCO has achieved a lot in the DR Congo. I shall help people to understand MONUSCO’s actions and role in the Territory of Uvira”. The Public Information of MONUSCO-Uvira has already received requests for the establishment of similar Clubs in other schools: “Institut Supérieur Pédagogique d’Uvira (ISP), Institut des Sciences et Techniques Médicales (ISTM)…

Jean-Tobie Okala