Mbandaka, 21 September 2010 - Seventy-five officers from the Congolese National Police (PNC)'s Mobile Intervention Group are undergoing training of modern techniques for maintaining and restoring public order. The 10-day programme is provided by MONUSCO Civilian Police as part of the UN Mission's support to Security Sector Reforms' efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The opening ceremony of the training was held at the Hewa Bora Instruction Centre of the PNC in Mbandaka on September 15. The Provincial Governor and the Head of MONUSCO's Equateur Office led the ceremony which was also attended by members of the Provincial Government and members of the Provincial Security Committee, including the Commanding General of the 3rd Military Region of the Armed Forces of the DRC (FARDC), the PNC Provincial Inspector and the Mayor of Mbandaka.

Remarks made by state authorities on the occasion stressed the importance of reforming the PNC, which, as Governor Jean-Claude Baendé said, "must become a force that works closely with – and relied upon by -- the population and one that no longer invokes fear. Today the feeling that you have when you see a police officer coming over is a feeling of fear and insecurity", Mr. Baendé said. He added that this situation must change and one way to achieve this is to train police personnel.

Provincial Governor Baendé thanked MONUSCO for providing this training, which, he said, allows the DRC and Equateur province in particular, to develop a professional police force that will no longer engage in looting or creating insecurity for the population.

The Provincial Inspector of the PNC, General José A. Bakemo, expressed satisfaction over MONUSCO providing this training support. In underlying the importance of such support, he recalled having participated in the Radio Okapi phone-in talk show "Dialogue entre Congolais" (Dialogue between Congolese) on 6 November 2009 during which a listener, speaking about the crisis that had then broken out in Equateur's area of Dongo, said: "if our police officers had been well-trained, they would not have been scared by the Enyele combatants or their witchcraft"

According to General Bakemo, the support being provided by MONUSCO is part of addressing the issue raised by "that [Radio Okapi] listener who rightfully spoke of the need for training or restraining Congolese police personnel." He said that "a police force capable of keeping the peace requires well-trained personnel" and, as the 2011 elections approach, "this training comes at the right time".

For his part, the head of MONUSCO's Equateur Office, Jean-Tobie Okala, recalled that training police officers is part of the UN Mission's mandate as set forth in UN Security Council resolution 1925 - a resolution that, according to Mr. Okala, among other things, calls for achieving stabilisation and peace consolidation through security sector reforms in the DRC.

MONUSCO is therefore called upon to reinforce the Congolese government's efforts to reform its police, and also to support, in close collaboration with other international partners, the government's action to restore and reinforce State authority in territories freed from armed groups. The deployment of a Congolese National Police force that is well-trained and well-equipped is an important part of the process of restoring State authority.