Mbuji-Mayi, 2 August 2013 – In Mbuji-Mayi, the provincial capital of Eastern Kasai, the MONUSCO police force (UNPOL) launches a new month-long campaign to raise public awareness of the importance of the Congolese National Police (PNC) working in partnership with the population.

Twice a week for one month, UNPOL elements will be meeting with heads of neighborhoods and streets of the town to see if and make sure that the mechanisms put in place to protect civilians are functioning properly and that the role of the police is well understood by the inhabitants.

The campaign seeks to promote the participation of citizens in increasing the effectiveness of the mechanisms in place to provide security and justice for all. To that end, citizens are encouraged to denounce all criminal acts of which they may be the victims or which they may observe in their communities, so that the action of the National Police can bear the expected fruits.

This awareness campaign is re-launched in the wake of a recent surge in the number of criminal acts attributable to increasingly difficult economic and social conditions in Eastern Kasai.

An earlier campaign last April resulted in a significant increase in the number of denunciations and testimonies from among the population, followed by a drop in crime rates.

These campaigns also help to give visibility to UNPOL actions with the PNC and the population.

Piergiorgio Paglialonga/MONUSCO