The local authorities in Aweil Center County in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State have confirmed the formation of two Police Community Relation Committees (PCRCs) to boost security and control crime.
The committees were established days after the county hosted a workshop on the role of traditional authorities in handling cases in support of government policies.
The PCRCs comprise traditional authorities, women, youth, and merchants who are tasked with improving the security landscape and controlling crime in their given communities.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday, Aweil Center County Commissioner Peter Natale Okech said that after the capacity building workshop, the formation of the two PCRCs in Aroyo and Barmayen Payams was presided over by the Northern Bahr el Ghazal State High Court President Abraham Majur Lat and the Director for Legal Administration, Deng Majak Deng, over the weekend.
“The training of traditional chiefs was conducted in the presence of Director of Legal Administration Deng Majak Deng and the President of High Court in Northern Bahr el Ghazal, Abraham Majur Lat, who have organized the PCRCs in Aroyo and Barmayen towns,” he said. “The training was so fruitful because it empowered the chiefs on how to deal with customary court cases. I have requested the program to be implemented because there were some issues to be addressed.”
Okech added: “We thank UNDP for accepting our request for the training for our traditional authorities.”
The Chairperson for the Chamber of Commerce in Aweil Center County who is also a member of the PCRC in Aroyo, Marko Guot, welcomed the establishment of the bodies to solve issues within the community.
“Yes, I am a member of the PCRC and I am the Chairperson of the Chamber of Commerce and I welcome the formation of the committee because it solves people’s problems,” he stated.
For her part, Mary Ayat Unguech, a community member in Barmayen Payam, lauded the security initiative and said she hopes it will check crime in the area.
“It is very important and it supports the citizens in terms of security, community cohesion, and crime control,” she said.
Meanwhile, Santino Longar, one of the participants in the workshop, said the meetings were successful and created understanding and respect between the police and the community.
“The meetings that were held were successful and everything was put in place,” he explained. “We discussed and welcomed all the recommendations on the formation of an engagement between the police and community.”