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AMISOM Police lays the groundwork for deployment of more officers to Belet Weyne

Storyline:National News, Security
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Police Operations Coordinator ACP Ali D. Gwambal and a team of logistic officers from Mogadishu during a visit to Belet Weyne on May 02, 2018. The team visited AMISOM and UN camps to assess the accommodation requirements and facilities in preparation for the deployment of Nigerian FPUs in the near future. AMISOM Photo

By Amisom Public Information

A team of senior police officers from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) headquarters last week visited Belet Weyne to access ongoing preparations for the deployment of a Formed Police Unit to Hiiran region in south-central Somalia.

The team, led by AMISOM Police Operations Coordinator, Daniel Ali Gwambal, inspected facilities to be used by the unit comprising 32 Nigerian police  officers, who are expected in Belet Weyne in the coming weeks.

“The purpose of visiting Belet Weyne today is to have the on-spot assessment of the facilities that are on ground,” said Mr. Gwambal.

He added that the team also came to access progress being made, in the mentorship programme, by individual police officers who were deployed three months ago.

Superintendent of Police, Samuel E.M. William, AMISOM Team Site Leader in Belet Weyne, said the deployment of the Formed Police Unit (FPU) would greatly boost activities of individual police officers, providing them with security to enable them access new areas.

“Formerly, we were not able to visit many sites but with the FPU, it will be easier for us. We will be able to visit any scene that has incidents,” he noted.

The Contingent Commander of the Nigerian FPU, Superintendent Haruna Ismail, said the preparations had been completed, adding that the arrival of the team will boost security in the region.

“We are giving them the assurance, we are bringing a well-trained, weapon handling personnel that can withstand any threat and provide security to the personnel on this ground,” he said.

The FPU will provide escort to the individual police officers training and mentoring Somali Police in Belet Weyne. They will also provide security to AMISOM and its partners.