Kisangani – 25 May 2012 – The United Nations Police (UNPOL) held, on 24 May 2012, a day-long training workshop for some 32 Congolese National Police (officers) to strengthen their ability to better protect civilian populations. Organized around the theme of "Collaboration between UNPOL and PNC for population protection", the workshop aimed at building in these police officers a sense of what is appropriate behaviour in dealing with the population.

According to the Kisangani UNPOL Sector Chief, Lazare Tarpaga, "This training is initiated after the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) and magistrates from the public prosecutor's office have observed irregularities and shortcomings on the part of judicial police officers with regard to respect for the rights of persons held in police cells.

During the opening ceremony for this workshop, the MONUSCO head of office in Kisangani, Helder De Barros, after mentioning the Mission's current mandate as set out in UN Security Council Resolution 1991, stated: "this [training] session responds to the expectations of the moment, which are concerned with public order, an eloquent indicator of State authority.

This day-long workshop benefited from the expertise of four magistrates from the Kisangani Public Prosecutor's Office as well as from the Human rights and Rule of Law sections of MONUSCO. Through a series of presentations, these experts brought to light several cases of human rights violations involving men in uniform, aiming to promote awareness about the problem and encourage these police officers to adopt good behaviour in the execution of their duties.

Codjo Houegniglo/MONUSCO