April 2026,

The 2nd Regional PSSM ToT Course for the French speaking RECSA Member states and bordering states was held from 18th March 2026 to 3rd April 2026 at the Humanitarian Peace Support School (HPSS) in Embakasi, Kenya. This course is jointly organized by RECSA, hosted by IPSTC (HPSS), with funding from the Ministry of Defence, Government of Austria.

Training Objectives

The main objective of this training is to equip participants with knowledge and skills on how to apply simple and effective measures to manage and control weapons and ammunition. This aims to:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Reduce the risk of diversion.

                            • Prevent theft.

                            • Minimize accidental or unintentional explosions at munition sites.

Participants and Regional Representation

The course brought together 18 participants, 9 instructor candidates, and 3 senior PSSM instructors drawn from the Military and Police. The participating countries included:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Burundi

                            • Democratic Republic of Congo

                            • Central African Republic

                            • Djibouti

                            • Rwanda

                            • Cameroon

                            • Comoros

                            • Madagascar

A Milestone for Capacity Building

The 9 instructor candidates have been undergoing a Training of Trainers (TOT) program and are due to graduate in October 2026. This will be the first group of French-speaking PSSM instructors in the region. This represents a major milestone for RECSA French-speaking states, as they will now be able to build the capacity of fellow officers within their own countries.

In the spirit of promoting full and meaningful participation of women in SALW (Small Arms and Light Weapons) management, the course was attended by 9 female officers from Burundi, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Comoros, and DRC.

Facilitation and Language

The training was conducted entirely in the French language using French modules. The course was facilitated by three senior PSSM instructors from Burundi:

• Lt. Col. Emmanuel Nijimbere

• Capt. Daniel Gitenge

• Col. Pol. Serges NDUWAYO

They were joined by international facilitators from the Government of Austria, led by Col. Thomas Krainz.

Looking Ahead

Participants were encouraged to utilize their acquired knowledge to instill behavioral changes in handling arms and ammunition at their workstations and share this information with their colleagues.

Save the Date: The 3rd Regional PSSM training for French speaking RECSA member states and bordering states is scheduled for October 2026 at HPSS, Nairobi, Kenya.