The following was issued as a press release by the ICRC delegation in Harare on 21 January 2005

The ICRC has conducted a one-week course on international humanitarian law for officers in the security forces of several southern African nations.

The sixty participants were drawn form the Zimbabwe National Army, the Air Force of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Zimbabwe Prison Services and guest students from Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.

The event also provided the ICRC with an opportunity to present its work to protect and assist people affected by armed conflicts or other situations of violence.

The ICRC has a regional delegation in Harare that covers Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and Zambia as well as Zimbabwe itself. Part of its mission is the promotion of IHL in civil society, the military and the security forces.