Policing in newly liberated areas starts

A total of 138 station commanders from the Somali Police Force have concluded a two week refresher course undertaken jointly by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the United Nations.The officers will be deployed to new districts recently liberated from the Al Shabaab.

Somali Federal Minister of State for Internal Security Da’ud Abdikarim Omar says expectations are high in these recovered areas thus the need to maintain law and order.

“Workshops and trainings have completions but learning does not have an end. I hope you feel that the areas assigned to you are recently liberated districts from Al Shabaab insurgents. The people in those areas were subjected to severe cruelty and pressure from Al Shabab. The Somali people in those districts need help. The most important support is to maintain peace and security in those areas,`’ he said.

The training was extensive and factored in human rights law, rules, systems and regulations required in a professional police force.

In his remarks at the conclusion of the training, the representative of the Somali Police Commissioner Mukhtar Hussein Afrah said, “While taking an advantage of this opportunity, I would like to remind the police officers assigned to work in those districts that they have a huge responsibility; they are expected to execute their duties within the confines of the law and at the same time observe human rights. Police station commanders cannot deliver without the help of the local people, they must work together to fulfill their responsibilities well.”

AMISOM Police Contingent Commander Amadu Mannah who represented the Police Commissioner  said, “We have been able to get these trainers from the thirteen recovered areas, 138 officers that are going to serve as both commanders and field training officers who shall recruit and mentor thirty-five police officers in each of those recovered areas. We are happy that they will be able to establish effective policing in these areas’’.

Also presented was the UN Police. The UN Superintendent of Police Prince Cobbinoh said “We believe that with the knowledge and skills that they have been imparted with, they will introduce proper policing to the people. They have been trained on human rights observance, they have been trained on mentorship, traffic control, how to investigate cases and how to manage police stations.’’