I was at the anti-riot police station headquarters today but it wasn’t because I was arrested for rampaging some places, I was covering the election security training for anti-riot police officers in Malakal.

Election security training for anti-riot police officers in Malakal

The training was actually started yesterday and it will end tomorrow. This three-day training was attended by 40 anti-riot police officers including three policewomen. The election’s day in Sudan is scheduled to be in the second week of April and this is going to be the first election after 25 years. I found this training is very interesting because it gives the participants very useful knowledge on how to maintain the security prior to, during, and after the elections such as how to secure the ballot box, VIPs, candidates, voters, and the polling stations since they have yet to have any experience in it.

One of female participants on the training

During the training today, the participants were given a scenario where there were some voters not happy with the way election went so they were angry at the polling station. They wanted to destroy the ballot box and even some of them were carrying guns. The police officers who were on duty at the polling station tried to safe the ballot box, polling station’s staff, and called for the back up. Soon after that, the anti-riot police officers came to the location, captured the protesters and brought them to the police station to be investigated.

Some were acting as voters

Female voter put her voting card into the ballot box

The exercise looked like very real, the anti-riot police officers were wearing their shields and sticks, the participants really made it as if they really plunged into the situation. I was impressed!

The anti-riot police officers… in action!

The exercise

Capturing the protesters

Situation is under control

The whole exercise was supervised by four UN Police training officers who are from USA, Jamaica, Nepal, and Indonesia. When I saw Police Commissioner RA from Indonesia giving the instructions to these Sudanese police officers, I felt very proud of my country.

Police Commissioner RA gave instructions during the exercise

Another instruction’s given to the Sudanese police officer
Now Indonesian’s knowledge and expertise is really recognized by the world. To date there are 16 Indonesian police personnel who join the United Nations Mission In Sudan (UNMIS) as police advisors and two of them are in Malakal. Indonesian’s police personnel have started to be involved in UN peacekeeping operations worldwide to contribute in making the world better. Viva Indonesia!!!

Two Indonesian’s policemen, Police Commissioner TS (the second from the left) and Police Commissioner AR (the first from the right) posed with The Head of Anti-Riot Police Officer of Malakal (in the middle) along with UN Police members from Nigeria and Nepal. (http://imeechan.com/)