Monday, September 09, 2019

Sudan: UN train police and trainers in North Darfur

Article by African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
Dated Thursday 05 September 2019 via APO
UN State Liaison Functions provide Human Rights training to Sudan Police in North Darfur
Photo: UN State Liaison Functions (SLFs) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in north Darfur, recently concluded two Human Rights training programmes held in north Darfur state capital, El Fasher.

The latest training course for 30 participants from Sudan Police Force (SPF), including 9 females, was held from 1-3 September with a focus on the application of Human Rights standards in investigations and prosecutions of Sexual Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Conflict Related Sexual Violence (CRSV). The course was aimed at raising awareness between Sudan Police Force (SPF) and Prosecutors on each department’s role in the application of Human Rights Standards.

Another Training of Trainers (ToT) course was held from 18 to 29 August for 34 participants, aimed at creating awareness and providing background information on the different theories, practices and knowledge on international human rights standards and directives relevant to police operations.

In her remarks at the closing ceremony for the August event, the Officer-in-Charge of the SLFs in north Darfur, Heidi Van Heerden, highlighted the need to build the capacity and professionalize the SPF for them to be able to discharge their duties and prepare them to take over policing duties from UNAMID as the Mission prepares to exit from the region at the end of June 2020. “UNAMID is encouraging all participants to share its passion of striving to make Darfur a safer, secure and more harmonious place for all by applying the knowledge and skills they have acquired in these training programmes in their daily work routine,” Ms. Van Heerden said.

UNDP representative, Ibrahim Khirdin, noted that these training programmes are geared towards consolidating peace in Darfur. “I believe that the participants from both courses are now fully capacitated to deliver training to their colleagues”, he added.

In his address, Sudan Police Force Director of the Criminal Investigations Department, Brigadier Abdulellah Ali Ahmad, urged all participants, certified by UNAMID/SPF, to make these institutions proud by delivering the same training to their colleagues.

UNAMID Police, in partnership with the UN Country Team in Sudan, is conducting these Training of Trainers workshops for Sudan Police Force to ensure the sustainability of knowledge and skills transfer to SPF as part of the Mission’s transition plan implementation and to facilitate a seamless handover of policing responsibilities to local police by the end of June 2020.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

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