UN mission in Central African Republic, Chad launches police training programme

The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) launched a new programme today to train instructors for Chadian police to help victims in the country’s east of the crisis in Sudan’s war-wracked Darfur region.

A total of 36 officers – including 20 international and 16 national participants – will take part in the seven-day Training of Trainers programme for the Chadian Police.

The training seeks to “enhance the capabilities of Chadian police and gendarmes to provide effective police service to the population in eastern Chad affected by the Darfur crisis, including refugees, IDPs [internally displaced persons] and humanitarian workers,” as stated in a September 2007 Security Council resolution.

Those participating in this programme will, in turn, train some 200 Chadian police officers for monthly for the next four months – a total of 850 officers – to protect refugees and IDPs in Chad.

MINURCAT was established by the Council last September as a multidimensional presence including European Union military forces and comprising 300 police and 50 military liaison officers, as well as civilian staff, focusing on the areas of civil affairs, human rights, the rule of law and mission support.