Programmes

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Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Congolese National Police (PNC) has inherited a challenging legacy from decades of militarization and corruption following the country’s recent war-torn history. The Tshisekedi government that took office in 2019 embarked on a renewal of police reform efforts covering the period of 2020 to 2024.

Since 2022, DCAF - in a consortium with Enabel and COGINTA - supports the implementation of Phase III of the “Programme d’appui à la Réforme de la Police” (PARP III), funded by the European Union. The four-year program is carried out at the central level (Kinshasa) and in three provinces: Ituri, Kasai, and Equateur.

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Photo: DCAF

Workstreams/Projects

The overall objective of the programme is to improve governance, the protection of human rights and the fight against impunity through the following specific objectives:
•    Improve implementation of police reform and accountability of the police
•    Strengthen the prof Strengthen the professionalism of the police and of the criminal chain
•    Improve human resource management
•    Operationalisation of community policing 

DCAF’s intervention focuses on legislative reform and enhanced accountability.  We work with numerous national partners such as the National Police Commissariat, the Inspectorate General of Police, members of the National Parliament, as well as a network of civil society and media actors. 

DCAF formalized its official presence in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2022.
 

LEGAL REFORM
The effectiveness and accountability of the Congolese police are hampered by outdated legislation governing its conduct and available resources. A strengthening of the legal framework is crucial to ensure reform measures achieve a lasting impact. To this end, we focus on the following:

  • facilitate legal expertise to enable parliament to amend and pass laws applicable to the police that are consistent with overall legislation
  • involve civil society and the media in steering police reform through public awareness-raising and regular working groups
  • support implementation of laws through dissemination of legal texts, for example through the construction of a website compiling relevant legislation governing the security sector and specifically related to police framework
     

ENHANCING POLICE ACCOUNTABILITY
Effective external and internal oversight mechanisms are essential to enhance police accountability and good governance.  This is linked to the work of the Inspectorate General of the Police (IGPNC), Parliament, civil society and the media. DCAF works to enhance police accountability by providing assistance as follows:

  • support public communication strategies about legal recourse for alleged victims of police abuse or misconducts
  • provide improved training modules and investigation tools for members of inspection staff 
  • strengthen the capacities of parliamentary commissions towards exercising greater parliamentary oversight of the police, and voting on necessary budget expansions 
  • training of trainers to increase knowledge of local police divisions on the fundamentals of police integrity and reform in the provinces of Equateur, Kasai and Ituri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 


 

 

Contacts

Sophie Frediani, Principal Programme Manager (s.frediani@dcaf.ch)

Fatoumata Diallo, Senior SSR Advisor (f.diallo@dcaf.ch)

Anne Bennett, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa Division (a.bennett@dcaf.ch)