BRAZZAVILLE, Congo: Congolese police, who are frequently accused of torture and ill-treatment, will undergo a three-year training program funded by the European Union, officials announced Tuesday.
According to AFP, the project’s initiator, Congo-Brazzaville’s Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou, stated that it will assist “police forces in better managing people in custody.” “The main goal is to help the Congolese government promote human rights among police forces by preventing all forms of torture,” said Herve Le Pennec, the project’s lead expert.
Strengthening the role of the police
He also said that improving day-to-day police work and strengthening the role of the police in the criminal justice system will be prioritized in order to increase residents’ access to justice. At least 13 young people were found dead in 2018 as a result of torture at a police station in Brazzaville’s Mpila region. According to the Development Actions Centre (CAD), six other persons died in similar situations at the capital’s Central Police Station in 2020.
According to Joseph Likibi, national coordinator of the children’s organization REIPER, torture is a tragic reality in Congo. Because the police and other law enforcement agencies are not sufficiently professional, they must be trained.
