GTZ opens skills training centre

The German development agency, GTZ, has opened a technical skills training centre for former fighters and community youths in northern Kambia District, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its 6-30 November situation report. The centre, funded through the National Committee for Disaramament, Demobilisation and Reintegration, is targeting some 325 ex-combatants and 50 youth, particularly women, OCHA reported. The project has a skills-training component offering training in carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, soapmaking and hairdressing for 175 participants as well as agricultural training and extension services for some 200 ex-combatant farmers. Meanwhile the overall security situation in Sierra Leone has remained calm during the reporting period. The Sierra Leone Police (SLP) continued to deploy in areas where disarmament has ended, including traditional rebel strongholds such as Koidu in the east and Makeni in the north. The SLP's community policing is aimed at confidence building across all sectors of the community and to rebuild trust in the police and judicial system, OCHA said. The policing will continue as plans to restore judiciary systems - courts, magistrates and lawyers - are hampered by difficult access and logistical support, particularly in the east of the country, the UN reported.