The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said it has wrapped up a 10-day training of 26 senior commanders from the Somali Police Force (SPF) to enhance their knowledge and skills to tackle crime and help improve the security situation in the country.
The ATMIS said the intensive training on police station management, held in the Somali capital of Mogadishu, focused on theoretical and practical sessions.
ATMIS Deputy Police Commissioner Martin Amoru said in a statement issued in Mogadishu on Monday evening that the police commanders were at the heart of the safety of communities and the ongoing stabilization efforts in Somalia. “The success of an organization, including the police station, depends on its management.”
The ATMIS said the officers, among them station commanders and their deputies from various police stations in Mogadishu, were taken through various aspects of policing, including the code of conduct, police accountability and oversight, responsibilities of the officer commanding police station, child protection and effectiveness of community policing in protecting civilians in armed conflict.
It added that the training also covered criminal investigation techniques, arrest, detention, search and seizure, among other key topics.
“I hope you will share the knowledge and skills acquired from this training with other officers in your respective stations in key departments like criminal investigation, station administrators and operations,” Somali Deputy Police Commissioner Osman Abdullahi Mohamed told the officers.
Under the ATMIS mandate, the police component is tasked to support the SPF by providing specialized training, advice and mentorship through joint patrols and protection of vital installations in line with the Somalia Transition Plan.
The capacity-building efforts will enable the Somali security forces to take over the full security responsibility of their country when the ATMIS exits Somalia in December 2024.
