Photo by Elsadig Daud, UNAMID.
On 14 November 2017, UNAMID, in partnership with the Government of Sudan (GoS) police, trained some 32 Community Policing Volunteers (CPVs) and Sudanese police officers on community policing and gender mainstreaming in El Geneina, West Darfur.
Speaking at the workshop, Lt.-Colonel Mohammed Obeidat, Police Commander, UNAMID Sector West, emphasized the importance of supporting the national police through efforts to improve their capabilities. Furthermore, in terms of the ongoing weapons collection campaign, Lt.-Colonel Obeidat noted that the community’s willingness to hand over arms shows their commitment to achieving peace and security. He urged the participants, especially the CPVs, to continue their support to local authorities in addressing security issues and raising community awareness on the importance of maintaining law and order.
Colonel Musa Mahdi, Acting Director, State Police, appreciated UNAMID’s continued efforts to support the national police forces. “This support has contributed to the stable security situation that we are enjoying at the moment,” he averred.
On his part, Mohamed Hafiz, Community Policing Coordinator, West Darfur, described their partnership with UNAMID as “remarkable,” adding that it had contributed significantly to building the capacity of the CPV committees and police officers in the region. “We acknowledge the good work UNAMID is doing by supporting the Sudanese police force to achieve their goals,” stated Mr. Hafiz.
In conclusion, Elsadig Mohamed, a spokesperson for displaced youth and a newly-recruited CPV from Al Hujaj camp for internally displaced persons spoke on behalf of the participants. “We have learnt how community policing volunteers can play a vital role as good citizens in their communities, as well as how to gather information and report crimes when they occur,” said Mr. Mohamed.
The one-day workshop aimed at building the capacity of the Sudanese police force, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2363 which mandates the Mission to support the state government in capacity building endeavors.