Saturday, August 01, 2009
NAIROBI, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) said on Friday it was convening a workshop for former Somali senior military officials under the auspices of the Somali Ministry of Defense next week in Washington.
A statement from UNPOS issued in Nairobi said the Aug. 1 to 5 workshop, which follows a preparatory forum held in June, will bring together former high ranking officers from the military, police, custodial and intelligence services for in-depth discussions on both the historical background of the Somali security forces, and on the re-establishment and the strengthening of the capacity of the security sector institutions in Somalia.
"In keeping with the spirit of the Djibouti process, this is an opportunity for the former Somali military leaders to contribute to the rebuilding of their nation," the UN Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said.
Engaging the former leadership of the Somali Forces is expected to enable them to share their institutional memory and know-how with the current leadership.
Source: Xinhua, July 31, 2009