The Great Lakes Trade Facilitation Project supported the training of border police officers and executives at border posts in North Kivu (Petite Barriere, Grande Barriere, Kasindi, Bunagana) and South Kivu (Ruzizi 1 and Ruzizi 2 ). This training falls within the framework of its Component 3, the performance of border administrations by a better knowledge of the rules and ethics of work. This training cycle takes place from October to November at different sites. A total of 90 border police officers and executives will benefit from this training, including 30 in Bukavu (Ruzizi 1 and 2), 30 in Goma (small barrier and Great Barrier), 15 in Bunagana and 15 in Kasindi, 45 delegates from associations of small traders and other border service agents.
The modules carry the ABC of border management, ethics and deontology of the Congolese National Police, roles and missions of the Border Police in the operational order, and collaboration between border police and small traders, the Charter on minimum standards for the treatment of small cross-border traders in the COMESA area, the RECOS. For the director of border police training, Colonel Jean Bagabo, “agents must treat small traders with dignity and respect. Avoid harassment, touching and verbal aggression”. The Border Police must avoid interfering in the missions of other border services because it is these overlaps at the base of the police harassment decried by small cross-border traders.
Fight fraud and protect small traders
The provincial minister of foreign trade of South Kivu, Marie-Jeanne Zihalirwa Barhasima, invited the agents and executives of the Border Police to capitalize on the concepts that they will learn in order to eradicate the harassments that are reported at the various borders. “We need the professionalism of border police officers because when it comes to leaking revenue or fraud, they are the first safeguard. We can meet the challenges. Strengthening the capacity of officers responsible for enforcing the application of border standards is imperative for the protection of small cross-border traders. This workshop illustrates the will of the government through PFCGL, to improve the conditions for crossing our borders, for a better facilitation of cross-border trade “, she affirms.
