Since 2015, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been assisting the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in implementing projects for local police professionalization in Mbuji-Mayi (Kasaï-Oriental province) and Lubumbashi (Haut-Katanga province). These projects are in line with the Congolese government's priority programme for national police reform.

Between 2015 and 2019, IOM supported the training of 383 police officers from the commune of Bipemba and 275 police officers from the commune of Muya in Mbuji-Mayi.

The aim of these trainings is to strengthen the security of the population while establishing a climate of trust between the population and the police. According to an evaluation of the project carried out by the Swiss NGO Coginta in 2017, the introduction of the local police in Mbuji Mayi has had a very positive impact on the safety of residents. As a result, the insecurity rate fell by 65.6%. In addition, this evaluation highlighted the increased confidence the population has in this new local police force, as evidenced by the positive opinion rate on the quality of police work, which has doubled in just over a year. Finally, the satisfaction rate during contact with the police has soared by 212%, the report says.

Some testimonies gathered by IOM teams in Mbuji-Mayi support this study. 

Victorine Cyenda, 51, a wife and mother, has lived for 23 years in Kabongo wa Misesa, a district of the Muya commune of Mbuji-Mayi. She witnessed a change in police practice. She says she once again trusts the police after the implementation of the projects for local police professionalization in her commune.

"Fear of the Congolese police"

"I was very afraid of the police since I was a child, especially when I heard on the radio or learned from others, that in some places, men in uniform had raped women or girls... It was very scary to meet a policeman on the way or to the office. The idea of one day being in front of a policeman scared me. I did not see the policeman in my city as a caring person with whom you can talk, who you can discuss your problem with and hope in return for a solution from him. After all I learned and heard, it was clear in my mind that the police were taking us for their prey."

Recipients of the training were guided on good practices for the local police to maintain social order and ensure peace among individuals and groups within society.

"My perception of the police has changed recently, when two police officers brought my drunk husband home. A week ago my husband was coming home late, he had one too many drinks, two officers of the Local Police force took him by the hand and accompanied him to my house. They did not claim anything in return. It was myself who begged them to agree to have some coffee as it was at night. Since then, my perception of the police has changed. I later learned that these officers were coming out of a training for local police. I've since taken a liking to approach them. I myself am surprised to sit down and talk to them. This is the third time that I participate in the neighbourhood forum (we didn’t know fora like this before). I got into the habit of talking with men in uniform, and my fear gradually dissipated. What I see is that the current police officers (referring to the local police officers) are orderly: they do not ask for money, they respect us. In short, they are people who know their work."

The training focused specifically on how police respond to problem solving and conflict management, but also on police participation in local community meetings and community forums on safety.

"If this continues, I believe that our society will make progress"

I would like the police in every province of my country to treat me in this same way. It is a pity that only the police officers of Kasaï-Oriental province have benefited from this training on local police. We want it to happen in every province. If this way of working could continue, I believe that our society would see progress."

For more information, please contact Daco Tambilika dtambilika@iom.int