1 June 2023
Field visits to complex security environments are typically challenging from a security standpoint. When a senior United Nations official is a member of the delegation, the preparations for the visit are made even more difficult. Recently, Mr. Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), traveled to Tshikapa with a donor group thanks to the assistance of UNDSS in the DRC.
Preparations for the visit started one week in advance with the deployment of Field Security Associate (FSA) Mr. Dada Kababa to the region. According to Mr. Kababa, ¡°Advance reconnaissance is crucial to conduct security assessments, put in place any additional security measures while initiating coordination mechanisms with the relevant government security actors in the region including the Area Security Management Team.¡± Other preparations entailed route mapping, convoy movements, and de-conflicting security arrangements with national security forces.
¡°We briefed the delegation on arrival at the location with stress on personal security and situational awareness. Additionally, we briefed the drivers on the security environment along the route, driving orders, communication, and contingency planning, thereby ensuring a coherent and coordinated response in case of a potential security incident,¡± explained Mr. Kababa. All the efforts and teamwork by different stakeholders resulted in a safe visit by the high-level delegation.
¡°The success of this visit from a security standpoint is attributed to robust partnerships with national stakeholders and adaptive risk management,¡± he concluded.