Bunia, 28 June 2012 – In Bunia, Province Orientale, two-day training on the issue of the protection of civilians took place from 26 to 27 June.

About 20 civilian agents, military and police officers of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) attended the training.

The aim was to help all the actors involved in the protection of civilians have a common understanding and information on the strategies for ensuring a better protection of the population; particularly those in the East who are facing, on a daily basis, rapes, kidnappings, murders, lootings and other forms of human rights violations that have been committed for decades by active armed groups and militias in the area.

As the protection of civilians is at the centre of MONUSCO mandate, which has just been renewed for another year, from 1st July 2012, by the United Nations Security Council, it was timely to organize such a gathering to reflect on the challenges of this particular aspect of the mission's work. Trainers came from MONUSCO headquarters in Kinshasa while the participants, who learned about the concepts and principles of protection of civilians, came from Kisangani and Dungu, Province Orientale.

Amadou Maïga/ MONUSCO