08 June 2010 - Yesterday marked the beginning of a ten-day workshop held in El Fasher, North Darfur, by UNAMID’s Human Rights component to increase the capacity of police officers in investigating violent crimes against women. The event was organized with support from the Swiss Government’s Fund Project to implement recommendations by the UN Group of Experts on Darfur.

The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Hawa Suleiman, Chair of the State Committee on Combating Violence against Women, and recently elected State Minister of Agriculture, as well as the Director of the State Police’s Family and Child unit.

Twenty-five police investigators and commissioned officers from all three Darfur states are attending the course, including seven female officers from North Darfur. There are currently no women in the West and South Darfur state police forces, a fact which the Mission hopes will soon be addressed.

The participants will be trained on national and international standards in investigating crimes against women, including procedures for interviewing suspects and victims, and Sudanese laws on domestic violence, gender-based violence and human trafficking.

This workshop is part of UNAMID’s ongoing efforts to reach out to the women of the region, who have been most affected by the conflict. The Mission has also launched awareness-raising campaigns among local leaders in towns and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps and is increasing its female police advisors.&g