Beni, 5 September 2012 - The Office of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Beni, Nord Kivu province, through its Child Protection section, organized from 30 to 31 August 2012, a workshop for some fifty youths in the town of Beni, located near the border with Uganda. The aim of the workshop was to increase youth awareness of the Mission's mandate.

MONUSCO officials attending the workshop highlighted the two key aspects in the Resolution 2053 adopted by the United Nations Security Council in June: "civilian's protection [to be] prioritized when deciding on the use of available MONUSCO's capacities and resources" and "security sector reform [to place] at the heart of the Mission's mandate."

As part of the new mandate extended until 30 June 2013, the Disarmament, Demobilization, Repatriation, Resettlement and Reintegration (DDRRR) program, MONUSCO has disarmed over 2000 combatants since January 2012.

Moussa Demba Diallo/ MONUSCO