(Kampala, Uganda, 7 August 2015) – The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Regional Training Facility (RTF) on the Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence in the Great Lakes Region is hosting a three-day training entitled “Addressing Sexual Violence in Conflict within the Military Justice System” on 10–12 August 2015 in Kampala, Uganda. The training is co-organized with the United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict (Team of Experts).
Over 20 members of the military justice system (investigators, prosecutors, and judges) from the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda (as host country) who investigate and prosecute conflict-related sexual violence have been invited as training participants.
The goal of the training is to strengthen the ability of military justice actors to investigate and prosecute cases of conflict-related sexual violence and related crimes.
The training will be conducted by attorneys and experts from the Team of Experts, the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict; the United Kingdom’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative; the United States’ Africa Command and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Physicians for Human Rights’ Program on Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones, and ICGLR RTF.
“Ensuring accountability for sexual violence crimes will contribute to the promotion of peace, security and justice in the Great Lakes Region. We are grateful for the support of the UN Team of Experts and our other partners who recognize the vital importance of this issue not only for the region’s stability, but to the survivors of these heinous acts,” said Nathan Mwesigye Byamukama, the Acting Director of the ICGLR RTF.
Separately, a two-day training will be conducted for Ugandan military and police officials on sexual and gender-based violence in peacekeeping operations, supported by the United Kingdom and the British High Commission.
The opening ceremony for the three-day training will be held on Monday, 10 August, at 9:00 am. Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda of Uganda is scheduled to participate. The event, to be held at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala, will be open to the media.
The closing ceremony will be held on Wednesday, 12 August. General Katumba, the Chief of Defense Forces, and the Minister of Gender, Labour and Social Development, are expected to give remarks. The event will be open to the media.
For interviews, please contact Nathan Mwesigye Byamukama, the Acting Director of the ICGLR RTF, at +256 (0) 785831057 & +256 (0) 752646891 or Press@icglr.org.
More information about the ICGLR RTF is available at http://www.icglr-rtf.org/index.php.
More information about the United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict is available at https://www.un.org/sexualviolenceinconflict/sexualviolenceinconflict/about-us/team-of-experts/