In their words: Preparing police for peace missions

Commissioner Richard Luhanga explains the value of ISS training of police for deployment in peace missions.

Published on 23 May 2016 in Impact

The ISS trains police officers for deployment to UN, AU and regional peace missions in African conflict environments.

‘My officers are now better prepared for survival in some of Africa’s most challenging places,’ says Commissioner Richard Luhanga, Director of Training for the Malawi Police Service.

‘Malawi has never taken a serious casualty on a UN-AU mission, and I attribute this to the ISS training.’

More than 60 Malawian officers, 40% of whom were women, were trained by the ISS in 2014 under the Training for Peace programme.

Officers were trained in the conduct expected of them on UN missions, how to work with local police and communities, as well as gender awareness, child protection and respect for human rights. They also got briefings on the culture of the country they are deployed to.

Practical ISS training includes personal security, responding to kidnapping, negotiation, interview and mediation skills, advanced 4x4 driving, first aid, navigation, radio communication and how to talk to community leaders.

‘The ISS has been a very good partner in preparing my officers to survive and excel on UN missions, and it makes them better police officers when they return to Malawi,’ Luhanga says.

The Malawi police found the ISS’ detailed training material and adult-based training methodology particularly useful. Many of the Malawian police officers were trained as instructors, which gives them greater responsibility and impact on their peace missions.

	My officers are now better prepared for survival in some of Africa’s most challenging places
	– Richard Luhanga, Director of Training, Malawi Police Service