Aru, 19 December 2011 – In its efforts to support Congolese authorities in the promotion of rule of law, the Corrections Unit of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) designed and conducted a series of training sessions for prison staff in the district of Ituri in the northeastern Province Orientale.

The training, which took place in the territories of Aru and Mahagi, respectively 300 km and 180 km northeast of Bunia, the capital of Ituri, was designed to enhance the skills of prison personnel with a view to improving prison security, and aligning detention conditions with relevant international standards.

The training modules included the Congolese prison system and regulations, prison security, prison administration techniques, international standards in the treatment of inmates, and the specific role and responsibilities of prison personnel.

Several local authorities took part in the training including, prison administrators and nurses, elements of the national police and Armed Forces, and prison wardens.

Amadou Maiga/MONUSCO