Ituri: PNC and UNPOL united to bring the police closer to the population

09 September 2026

Au-delà de cette journée, la coopération entre UNPOL et la PNC se traduit par différentes actions de terrain. — Beyond this event, cooperation between UNPOL and the PNC takes the form of various on-the-ground initiatives. ©MONUSCO / Didier Vignon Dossou-Gbakon

Some 300 police cadets, including 45 women, took part in the celebration of International Day of Police Cooperation on 7 September in Bunia. Organized at the Bunia Police Academy by the Congolese National Police (PNC), with support from the United Nations Police (UNPOL), the event notably featured awareness-raising activities on sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution 77/241 of 16 December 2022, this year’s International Day of Police Cooperation is being held under the theme: “Protecting vulnerable people, strengthening trust and the legitimacy of police action.”

In Ituri, a province that has faced armed violence and the resulting displacement of populations for several years, this theme has particular resonance.

For Divisional Police Commissioner Ngoy Sengelwa, Provincial Commissioner of the PNC in Ituri, a police officer’s role goes beyond enforcing the law. Above all, it is about protecting the population, particularly those most exposed to violence.

“A vulnerable person is a woman who is a victim of violence, a child who has been forcibly recruited, a displaced person who has lost everything, or a population traumatized by armed groups. Our primary duty is not only to repress, but to protect.”

Such protection also depends on trust between the police and communities. According to the Provincial Commissioner, this trust is directly linked to police officers’ day-to-day conduct.

“A police officer without the trust of the population is disarmed. Legitimacy cannot be imposed. It must be earned through our daily conduct and our respect for human rights,” explains Divisional Police Commissioner Ngoy Sengelwa.

From training to joint patrols

Beyond this event, cooperation between UNPOL and the PNC takes the form of various field activities. UNPOL provides training on community policing, public order management, criminal investigations, the protection of civilians, human rights, and the fight against gender-based violence. Joint patrols are also conducted with the Congolese police.

This support aims to help professionalize the Congolese police, improve the safety and security of the population, and enhance the effectiveness of police services in accordance with international standards.
For Divisional Police Commissioner Ngoy Sengelwa, this cooperation involves both capacity-building and the provision of resources to police officers.

Our collaboration with UNPOL contributes, in particular, to strengthening the capacities of our police officers through training and by disseminating information about the roles of the police. It also contributes to the professionalization of the police through infrastructure development. UNPOL has supported the construction and equipping of several buildings. Together, we are also working to prevent offences, notably through joint patrols conducted in the city of Bunia and its surrounding areas.

Ngoy Sengelwa - Divisional Police Commissioner

The Provincial Commissioner hopes that this collaboration will continue and expand to other areas of Ituri, particularly Mahagi, Aru and Mambasa, in order to help address the many security challenges facing the province.

“Cooperation is a necessity”

For Mahmoud Abdelkalek Fahmi Ashoush, Acting Head of the UNPOL Sector in Bunia, the challenges facing police forces make it all the more necessary to strengthen cooperation and pool expertise and experience.
“No police officer can tackle the challenges of our time alone. Cooperation is a necessity. It is also a strength,” he says.
He reaffirmed UNPOL’s commitment to continuing to work alongside the PNC, sharing experience, strengthening police officers’ capacities, and supporting the development of a professional, accountable police service that is close to the population.

“Behind every uniform lies a responsibility. Behind every intervention is a person to be served. And behind our cooperation lies a shared ambition: to contribute to peace,” Mahmoud Abdelkalek Fahmi Ashoush said.
In Bunia, International Day of Police Cooperation therefore provided an opportunity for the Congolese police and UNPOL to renew their commitment to continuing their collaboration, strengthening police capacities, building trust with communities, and contributing to the protection of populations in the face of the many challenges that Ituri continues to face.

Didier Vignon Dossou-Gbakon