Bandundu, 13 August 2010 - Within the framework of capacity-building for DRC's judiciary institution, Government Departments for Home Affairs, Justice, and Human Rights, backed by MONUSCO/Rule of Law section, held a series of trainings for Inspectors and Judiciary Police Officers (IPJ and OPJ). The trainings successively took place in Kasai Oriental, Kasai Occidental, Maniema and Bandundu provinces.

The objectives of the training are to empower, to re-train, to sensitize the Judiciary Police Inspectors and Officers on the laws governing their profession, to teach them appropriate working methods and tactics to help them to carry out their mission successfully.

The training took place from 21st July through 9 August and was attended by 150 police officers, including 10 police women in a bid to meet the gender requirement. The trainees whose average age varied between 20 and 55 years came from 7 police districts: Bandundu, Kikwit, Kwilu, Kwango, Mai-Ndombe, Loange and Kenge. All the trainees are members of the national judiciary police.

The training was provided by 13 trainers: 2 from MONUSCO Rule of Law and Gender sections, 2 from the Congolese National Police PNC/Bandundu, 2 from PNC/Judiciary Police School of Kinshasa and 7 magistrates from Bandundu city. Judiciary Police Officers taught one module each and the 13 modules covered a wide range of subjects: special legislations including sexual violence and child protection acts, criminal law, international humanitarian law, ordinary criminal proceedings, judiciary organization and competence, code of ethics and human rights, criminal investigation techniques, drafting of judiciary reports, technical and scientific police, organization of the PNC (Congolese National Police), OPJ and maintenance of law and order as well as gender aspect.

Altogether 148 police officers attended the training and 140 passed the test with more than 50% marks.

The newly trained police officers in maintenance of law and order and human rights protection will be able to tackle the cases of rape and harassment faced by Bandundu province.

Political and police authorities as well as judiciary police officers in Bandundu province expressed warm gratitude to MONUSCO for their support. Judiciary Police Officers, for their part, requested further support to help the National Police meet the requirements in term of the Rule of Law.