In Chad, UN mission starts training local police

The United Nations mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) is launching a programme tomorrow to train 77 Chadian police and gendarmerie commanders in law and order and respect for human rights.

After an intensive four-week course, the officers will form part of the Détachement Integré de Sécurité (DIS) working in refugee camps, internally displaced person (IDP) sites and major towns in eastern Chad. MINURCAT is targeting a total of 850 personnel to eventually make up the DIS.

According to a Security Council resolution last year, MINURCAT is tasked with selecting, training, advising and facilitating support to the DIS. Meanwhile the European force, EUFOR, is responsible for providing a security umbrella in the areas where MINURCAT conducts its activities.

MINURCAT was set up by the Security Council last September to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people uprooted by insecurity in the northeast of the CAR and eastern Chad, and in the neighbouring Darfur region of Sudan.