The Community Action for the Integrated Development of a New Congo (ACDI/N), in partnership with the National Youth Council of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (CNJ-RDC), is organizing a series of information and awareness-raising sessions on Security Sector Reform (SSR) for university students, with technical support from the Security Sector Reform (SSR) Section of the Rule of Law and Security Institutions Division (ROLSID) of MONUSCO.
On 29 June, students at the University of Kinshasa participated in one of these awareness-raising sessions.
Held under the theme "Understanding, Taking Ownership of, and Promoting Security Sector Reform for Participatory Security Governance," the initiative aims to strengthen young people's understanding of SSR issues and encourage their active participation in peacebuilding, the strengthening of the rule of law, and democratic governance in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to Claude Mbuyi, President of the CNJ-RDC, organizing information sessions on this topic within universities is of great importance.
"The feedback has been extremely positive. I am delighted to see this activity taking place in a university setting, which serves as a true environment for educating and preparing tomorrow's leaders. These young people will help promote stability in our neighborhoods, our communities, and ultimately throughout our country," he said.
Mr. Mbuyi believes that similar initiatives should be expanded to enable students to better understand the challenges surrounding Security Sector Reform.
"It is therefore essential to sustain this type of initiative because it provides students with valuable information about Security Sector Reform while strengthening their civic engagement," he added.
Promoting a better understanding of security sector reform
Security Sector Reform (SSR) is a key driver of peace consolidation, the strengthening of the rule of law, and the enhancement of democratic governance. Beyond the reform of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), the Congolese National Police (PNC), and the justice sector, SSR seeks to promote security governance based on transparency, accountability, democratic oversight, respect for human rights, and national ownership of the reform process.
For Manya Moupondo, MONUSCO's Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) Focal Point, the awareness sessions enabled students to develop a broader understanding of security.
"Through these sessions, students are encouraged to move beyond a narrow view of security and better understand the role that citizens, civil society, and young people can play in improving security governance and preventing conflict. It is important to raise awareness among young people about Security Sector Reform in its broad, holistic sense, because today the concept is often understood in a very limited way. During the workshop, the speakers clearly demonstrated that security should be viewed from a much broader perspective and that the population has an important role to play," she explained.
Bringing young people closer to security sector actors
The various sessions brought together experts from MONUSCO, representatives of national institutions, academics, and specialists in security governance. The participation of Professor Richard Lokunda, an expert at the National Security Council (CNS), further strengthened the strategic significance of the session.
While presenting the process of developing the forthcoming National Security Policy, conducted through a participatory approach, the speakers emphasized that young people should no longer be viewed merely as beneficiaries of public policies, but as key stakeholders actively involved in their design, implementation, and monitoring.
Through thematic presentations, expert panel discussions, case studies, and open dialogue, participants deepened their understanding while engaging directly with those involved in implementing the reform.
Senior Police Commissioner Maghene Marthins also welcomed the initiative, saying it helps bring young people closer to the security services and contributes to improving security governance.
"The interactions with the students have been very positive. At first, they had a different perception of security in its broader sense. However, by the end of the awareness session, they understood that we must work together and that the police serve the entire population, including young people in general and students in particular," he said.
Beyond strengthening participants' knowledge, the initiative seeks to foster a new generation of young people committed to participatory security governance.
Its objectives include establishing SSR Clubs within universities, creating a network of young Security Sector Reform Ambassadors, and producing awareness-raising materials for university communities.
"We were pleasantly surprised to see this initiative organized at the University of Kinshasa. Although the university regularly hosts academic seminars, issues relating to Security Sector Reform have rarely been discussed here. We are pleased to see students taking an interest in this topic and expressing a willingness to become involved. In fact, the first steps toward establishing a Security Sector Reform Club at the University of Kinshasa are already underway," explained Me Emmanuel Kabengele, National Coordinator of the Security Sector Reform–Justice Network.
Among the participants, César Mpwebe, a medical student at the University of Kinshasa, welcomed the initiative, describing it as valuable not only for students but for the wider public.
"As a student, but above all as a Congolese citizen, I believe this type of conference would benefit the entire Congolese population—not only young people, but older generations as well. Personally, I am leaving with a great deal of new knowledge, particularly about the role of the police and a much broader understanding of what security really means."
He also believes that expanding similar initiatives across the country, especially in Kinshasa, would help strengthen mutual understanding between the police and the public.
Stéphane Kabanga
