Bukavu, 15 February 2011 – Two hundred and sixty members of the Congolese Police (PNC) have received training on good governance and techniques for securing elections in South Kivu. The five-day training, which started on 10 February, was initiated by the UN Police (UNPOL), and was done simultaneously, in Kavumu and Walungu, both near the provincial capital of Bukavu. This program is the second in a series scheduled to take place in all eight territories of South Kivu Province. The first training took place last January.

The refresher course covered two main parts, including a basic tutorial on work ethics, code of conduct within the police force, as well as notions related to State organization, criminal law, and securing the electoral process. The second part of the training, which was more specific, included investigation techniques, law reinforcement, effective ways to keep guard, and crowd control methods. In addition to these two modules, the refresher course also touched on other issues such as sexual violence, human rights and child protection.

In the short term, the objective of the training is to make the Police elements more efficient in maintaining law and order, and also to boost their level of vigilance in the upcoming voter registry operations.

Alain Likota / MONUSCO