Uvira, 27 August 2012 – The Child Protection section of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) organized in Uvira, from 16 to 17 August 2012, a training workshop for about 30 psychosocial care workers from different areas of Sud-Kivu province.

According to the workshop organizers, the training aimed at enhancing the operational capacity of local NGO personnel specializing in the field of child protection, and ensuring that these workers have a common understanding of the operational framework of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program for children.

Moctar Al Housseinou, MONUSCO Child Protection Officer in Uvira, explained that the main focus of this training was on the Resolution 1612 of the United Nations Security Council and its functioning mechanism. This resolution was adopted on the protection of children affected by armed conflicts. Mr. Al Housseinou said the training was expected to fill gaps noted in the reporting line about the DDR process concerning children.

Simon Kangeta, one of the trainers, said that despite an improvement in the situation regarding child recruitment in the region, following the Congolese Government's 2009 and 2010 campaign for « Zero Child » in the armed forces, sensitization efforts must continue.

Thanks to this training the participants should now be better equipped to document sensitive information, and to report such information to the relevant authorities.

Fiston Timothée Ngoma Mayabala/ Radio Okapi/ MONUSCO