Training of Congolese police officers in the fight against violent extremism in Beni and Oicha
MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) police recently organized training for Congolese police officers with the aim of combating religiously motivated violent extremism. Forty officers and agents of the Congolese National Police from Beni and Oicha participated in this training, which took place from Monday to Friday October 20.
Deputy Chief Commissioner François Kalonda, of the National Legion of Intervention (LENI), who was part of the team of trainers, underlines the importance of training Beni police officers to deal with the problem of terrorism: “There are now ten or twelve years, there is a problem of terrorism in this environment. And we have to educate people about the practices, the methods, the tactics that terrorists use to enable them to identify terrorists, track them and stop them.
The police officers have notably learned investigative techniques to identify individuals likely to commit attacks before they carry out the act. The training also focused on detecting signs of radicalization, such as social isolation and adopting a new ideology.
Senior Commissioner Israel Mumbere Mutoto, commander of the Mbau police station, emphasizes the importance of training to work methodically and have solid evidence during arrests. According to him, this will allow police officers to take preventive measures before individuals commit terrorist acts.
The town of Beni and its surroundings were the scene of attacks claimed by the ADF (Allied Democratic Forces), who say they are affiliated with the Islamic State group. These attacks caused the deaths of many people, making it all the more crucial to strengthen the capacities of Congolese police officers in the fight against violent extremism.
Thanks to this training, police officers now have the tools necessary to identify, track and arrest potential terrorists. This will help strengthen security in the region and protect the civilian population from acts of extremist violence.
This training initiative demonstrates the commitment of the Congolese authorities and MONUSCO to fight terrorism and maintain peace and security in the Beni region. By training Congolese police officers, they also strengthen national capacities to face this threat.