At least 200 Somali police recruits officially began a three-month training in Jubbaland state yesterday.
They are the first batch of 600 police officers expected to be trained in the next one year. The officers will be deployed to different parts of the region, once they graduate, to help stabilize the country and maintain law and order.
The ceremony to mark the commencement of the program was attended by the officials from the Federal Government of Somalia, the regional Interim Jubbaland Administration (IJA), AMISOM and UNSOM.
The training is being conducted by AMISOM Police in partnership with the Somali Police Force, and the IJA, and supported by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID).
AMISOM Police, in support of early recovery and stabilization, has deployed a specialized police team in Kismayo to assist IJA in rebuilding, restructuring and upgrading law enforcement infrastructure to internationally accepted standards.
Speaking at the ceremony, IJA Minister of Internal Security, General Mohamed Farah Warsame, said the just-concluded consultative conference for Somali federal states’ ministers of interior and the Federal Government, held in Nairobi, endorsed a New Policing Model as envisaged in the provisional federal constitution.
The new model contains federal and state-level components, which will be under the respective federal and state-level ministries of internal security.
Gen. Warsame thanked AMISOM and other partners for the commitment to peace and security in Somalia. He commended AMISOM police trainers for their selfless dedication in training and mentoring recruits.
“We are happy with the stage we are today compared to where we started from. We welcome AMISOM commanders, UNSOM and UNPOS officials who have all played an important role in commissioning this training center where 200 Jubbaland police recruits have begun training. I am hoping a second batch will follow after the passing out of this first batch. And a third batch will also follow,†observed General Warsame.
He added that the Police Training Centre, currently under construction, will be the main recruitment and training center for IJA.
General Alasow, representing the Somali Police Force (SPF) Commissioner, reiterated SPF’s commitment to enhanced coordination and cooperation between the state and federal Police to ensure peace and security in the country.
He urged the officers to serve the public with dedication to ensure the rule of law, safety and security is realized.
General Alasow noted that policing should help create an environment free of fear and conducive to the realization of human rights.
The AMISOM Police Commissioner, Anand Pillay, commended the political will demonstrated by the IJA authorities, adding that the administration’s support to police reflects commitment to protect the public.
He announced that AMISOM is in the process of sourcing for funds to construct a permanent structure at the Police Training Centre, adding that the Mission would do everything possible to make the training facility a success.
Commissioner Pillay challenged the recruits to be devoted and pledged support from AMISOM Police during the training program.
“We’re looking forward to the 200 police officers training over the next three months. Thereafter the training will be continued by our police officers and we will support them by providing the necessary mentoring so that they can become efficient and effective police officers in the region,†he said.
Colonel Ahmed Hassan Bare Gabobe, the IJA Police Commissioner, noted that the partnership between AMISOM Police and Jubbaland Police had produced tangible results and expressed optimism for the future.
Source: AMISOM
