4 December 2013 - UNMISS and the South Sudanese government had shifted from basic to more specialized training for national police personnel, the UN Police (UNPOL) Commissioner said in Juba today.

Speaking at the end of a six-month specialized training course at Rajaf Police Academy, Fred Yiga said the new focus was on traffic management, criminal investigation, information technology, crime intelligence and counter-terrorism. Some 126 South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) officers of varied ranks attended the training.

Terrorism was a particular challenge in the region as well as world over and South Sudan was no exception to the threat, Mr. Yiga said.

“South Sudan (is) a new country…a fragile state … that came about as a result of conflict,” said Mr. Yiga. “The institutions are still weak, so we need to develop them to react to emergencies.”

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) Raisedon Zenenga said it was critical to establish rule of law to achieve peace, security and prosperity in South Sudan.

Mr. Zenenga urged newly trained officers to carry out their law enforcement duties professionally and effectively. He asked SSNPS Inspector General Pieng Deng Kuol to deploy officers in specific areas for which each was best qualified.

“You must be best friends of the communities in which you serve,” he said. “You must not harm the citizens and others that you are meant to serve… Protect the human rights for which your country fought.”

Gen. Kuol said the training would help improve crime detection and enhance investigations, noting that these were prerequisites for any effective police service. He challenged participants to translate their skills into meaningful reality.

“It is through constant training…that your police service will attain the competencies and the capacities to fulfill your mandate of protecting and serving your people,” said Moses Balimwoyo Muzhiri, Uganda’s Assistant Inspector General of Police.