Monday 2, Sep 2024 {HMC} Over 100 Somali Police Force officers have concluded a month-long training on community policing, to equip them with skills to address crime and violent extremism in local communities.
The workshop organised jointly by the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Somali Police Force (SPF), forms part of a series of training sessions to strengthen the capacity of the force to maintain peace and security in population centres and newly liberated areas.
At the graduation ceremony in Mogadishu on Saturday, Deputy Head of ATMIS, Siyuvile Bam, and Somalia’s Minister for Internal Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag, both emphasised the commitment of ATMIS and the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) to training and equipping the SPF to counter violent extremism.
“Somalia’s security landscape is complex and therefore it is important to have a tailored approach to community policing. We must continue to listen to the concerns of the communities, understand their needs and work together to address them,” said the Deputy Head of ATMIS, Siyuvile Bam.
He commended the officers for their dedication to protecting civilians and maintaining law and order under challenging circumstances.
“I am confident that the police and community volunteers will enhance their collaboration and improve their partnership to detect, prevent and combat crime within our communities,” he added.
Somalia’s Minister for Internal Security, Abdullahi Sheikh Ismail Fartaag, thanked ATMIS for the continued support to develop the SPF through mentorship and training programmes.
“Somalis have demonstrated a sense of unity in the war against Al-Shabaab, and this training is important as it provides the officers with the necessary skills and knowledge to take on violent crimes and degrade criminal activities,” said the Minister.
The ATMIS Police Commissioner, Hillary Sao Kanu, revealed since January 2024, ATMIS Police, together with the SPF, have conducted 18 capacity-building training programmes across Somalia, benefiting 352 SPF personnel, including 162 female officers.
“Today’s event is therefore significant to our collective efforts to improve on safety, trust and cooperation between the police and the communities that we serve in Somalia,” noted CP Kanu in her remarks.
She called on all to “work together to build a future where peace and security are the cornerstones of our society,” emphasising security is important to economic development and growth.
The SPF Police Commissioner, Brig. Gen. Sulub Ahmed Firin, was confident that the training would enable the officers to establish positive relationships with the communities they serve to ensure a safe and secure Somalia.
“The goal of this training is to promote trust and build relationships between the community and the police. We endeavour to bridge the gap by bringing together the police and communities for the benefit of the Somali people and build a secure Somalia,” said Brig. Gen. Sulub Ahmed Firin.
A beneficiary of the training, 1st Lt. Amina Ahmed, who works in the SPF Women and Child Unit, said the training had been practical and useful on techniques for improving relations with local communities.
The officers were taken through a range of topics, including specialised aspects of policing, core components and models of community policing, the legal framework for community policing and children’s rights and support mechanisms, among others.
The event at the General Kahiye Police Academy was well attended by high-level dignitaries, including Somalia’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Khadija Mohamed Al-Makhzoumi and the Mayor of Mogadishu, Yusuf Hussein Jimale among others.
In 2023, ATMIS Police, in collaboration with the SPF Leadership in Mogadishu and FMS, conducted thirty-one (31) training workshops. Eight hundred and two (802) participants benefitted, including one hundred and sixty-three (163) females.
ATMIS Police is mandated to provide specialised training, advice, mentoring and operational support, including joint patrols and protection of vital installations in line with the Somali Transition Plan.
