UK funds training on human rights for Burundian police force
British Embassy Office Bujumbura will be funding training of Burundian judicial police officers on human rights compliance and respecting the rights of those detained.
Course participants at the training session in Bujumbura
On 24 October, the Head of Political Section for the British High Commission Kigali opened the latest round of training for Burundian Judicial Police officers on compliance with the rights of suspects and those detained and their human rights.
Funded by the British Embassy Office Bujumbura, local NGO Burundi Bridges to Justice in partnership with the General Inspection of the Police of Burundi has organised a series of training for judicial police officers to build their capacity to understand, respect and implement due process and respect rights of those detained.
These activities are part of the “Rebuilding Trust through the Rule of Law”, a UK-funded project implemented by Burundi Bridges to Justice with the aim to improve protection of suspects’ rights and to rebuild trust between Burundi’s citizens and their security forces. There are a number of upcoming training sessions across Burundi over the coming weeks and overall, at least 150 judicial police officers from across the country will benefit from this training.
The Head of Training for Burundi’s national police said that the skills gained from the training will help his officers to overcome some of the challenges faced in their profession in regards to human rights in general and process rights of the suspects. Addressing the officers who will benefit from the training, he emphasised that their behaviour towards the population will either inspire their confidence or provoke their mistrust towards not only the police, but also the entire law enforcement apparatus.
Burundi Bridges to Justice said:
Trust between the population and their security forces is a key element of sustainable peace and development. Funding this project is a proven way to reduce risks of instability in Burundi by preventing due process rights violations, fostering a fair criminal justice and sparking dialogue between ordinary citizens and their security forces.
Head of Political section at the British Embassy Bhavik Shah said:
I am pleased to open the latest round of UK-funded training for judicial police officers on police detention procedures and compliance with human rights. The protection and promotion of human rights is a priority for the British Embassy Office in Bujumbura and for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office as a whole. We thank the Burundian judicial police for their constructive engagement in this collaborative process, which should bring benefits to the police service as well as the Burundian population. This is one of the ways we are working in Burundi in the interests of the Burundian people.