ABIDJAN – The UN Operations in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), on Saturday said it had trained 50 members of the Republican Force of Cote d’Ivoire (FRCI) on ethics and human rights protection.
A statement from the mission obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) said the training took place in Daloa, Cote d’Ivoire’s western region.
According to the statement, the three-day training the theme: “Breaking down walls of mistrust and restoring confidence between civilian and military populations.’’
It said the soldiers were given courses on ethics, civil-military synergy, rights protection and international humanitarian law.
It quoted Ousmane Kane, Head, UNOCI’s Delegation in Western Cote d’Ivoire, as saying that the training was part of efforts to reposition the national army, for effective service delivery.
“We have undertaken similar training for soldiers in other parts of the country; this time, we targeted soldiers serving in the Dalao region.
“Our intention is to sharpen their skills and make them perform their duties in line with internationally acceptable standards’’, the statement quoted him as saying.
The statement also quoted Doumbia Brahima, Commandant, 2nd Battalion, Daloa, as describing the training as “capacity boosting and enriching.
“We are very grateful to be part of this exposure; we thank the UN mission for its tireless efforts to make impact in Cote d’Ivoire.
“This training will boost confidence in our soldiers; we are in fact better equipped after this training, we will pass the knowledge gained to others’’, he was quoted as saying.
NAN reports that part of the mandate given to UNOCI by the Security Council is the reform of Cote d’Ivoire’s security sector, after the post-election crisis. (NAN)
