Mozambique: Police study international rules and standards on policing

More than 80 police commanders from Manica, Sofala, Tete and Zambezia provinces in central Mozambique participated in a two-day seminar in early August on international rules and standards on policing.

The appropriate use of force and firearms by law enforcement officers, guidelines relating to arrest and detention of alleged offenders, as well as respecting and protecting the rights of persons displaced by armed violence were among the topics discussed.

"One of the key lessons from this seminar was that we need to maintain a dialogue on the challenges we face as law enforcement officers," said Graça Sulemane, a police station commander based in Chimoio, Manica province.

Jacinto Sorte, a police station commander from Chimoio, said: "This seminar has served as an important reminder of our duty as police officers to serve as a positive example in our communities. We will incorporate the knowledge we have gained into our weekly refresher training for all police officers so that others can benefit from this experience."

The two seminars were held in Beira and Tete from 3 to 9 August 2017. They were the first activities carried out by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with the Republic of Mozambique Police (PRM) since the opening of an ICRC mission in Mozambique in early 2017. The mission is responsible for humanitarian activities in central Mozambique focused on protecting the lives and dignity of persons affected by armed violence and providing them with assistance. The ICRC maintains a dialogue with the police forces in Mozambique to promote knowledge of and improve respect for international rules and standards of policing.