The Police component of MONUSCO (UNPOL) organized a workshop on Tuesday, 28 July, at the headquarters of the Congolese National Police (PNC) to promote the 2025–2029 Five-Year Action Plan to Combat Sexual Violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The workshop brought together fifty officers from the Mobile Intervention Unit. It aimed to familiarize them with the plan’s main priorities, which seek to strengthen accountability within the police, prevent abuse and help break the silence surrounding sexual violence.
In her remarks, the Head of MONUSCO’s Police component, IGP Mamouna Ouedraogo, emphasized the importance of the partnership between UNPOL and the Congolese National Police in turning this action plan into tangible results.
“This joint effort strengthens national capacity to combat sexual violence while reinforcing MONUSCO’s mandate to protect civilians and promote human rights,” she said.
The 2025–2029 Five-Year Action Plan focuses on prevention, prosecution, and protection against sexual violence. Its implementation is intended to make efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) a key criterion in evaluating police leadership.
Happy Moloway, representing the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office (UNJHRO) at the workshop, stressed that close cooperation between UNJHRO, UNPOL, and the PNC is essential to ensuring the protection of victims and strengthening police capacities.
For his part, Commissioner Kanold Kamana, Director of Studies and Planning of the Congolese National Police, recalled that the success of the action plan depends first and foremost on the commitment of police officers themselves, supported by this partnership.
In this context, the Head of MONUSCO’s Police component commended the efforts of the PNC and reaffirmed MONUSCO’s commitment to supporting the force in strengthening the capacities of police personnel, promoting human rights–compliant policing, and improving assistance and support for victims.
At the end of the training workshop, participants will have the knowledge and skills required to implement the plan’s directives, provide appropriate assistance to victims, and actively contribute to combating sexual violence within their respective units.
The 2025–2029 Five-Year Action Plan to Combat Sexual Violence sets out a number of specific objectives, particularly in relation to ending impunity. Its implementation is expected to ensure that any police officer responsible for acts of sexual violence is systematically brought to justice.
With regard to prevention and awareness-raising, the plan also provides for the training of police officers in human rights, ethics, and gender-responsive approaches.
The final pillar focuses on victim support. It aims to strengthen assistance mechanisms, guarantee victims’ protection, and promote exemplary policing, particularly in conflict-affected areas.
Walid Bouzayane
