Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Mogadishu — Somali traffic police officers
say they are ready to take up arms to defend themselves after al-Shabaab
issued specific threats against them and killed at least four of their
colleagues since the beginning of Ramadan.
"We never expected that traffic police would be targeted because they
were providing a service to the Somali public and they control the flow
of traffic so that accidents that cause problems do not occur," Police
Traffic Commandant General Ali Hirsi Barre told Sabahi.
"We are preparing to arm ourselves so that we can continue to perform
our duties," Barre said. "We will protect ourselves against any attack
that comes to us from the insurgents."
Two traffic police officers were killed while on duty at Mogadishu's
Maka al-Mukarama Road at the start of Ramadan, another was killed and
one injured July 4th at a busy intersection in Hamar Jajab district, and
another was killed two days later in Yaqshid district.
Al-Shabaab threatened to continue killing traffic police if they see them on the roads.
"For a long time we have spared the traffic officers, but we will
target them from now on because they are the same as the other army
serving for the enemy," al-Shabaab spokesperson Sheikh Ali Mohamud Rage
said July 5th according to Hiiraan Online.
The same day, Barre submitted a request to the federal government to
arm and train the traffic police and to have Somali national police
officers provide protection for them until that is possible.
"I heard [al-Shabaab] has claimed to be targeting the traffic police
because they search vehicles and verify vehicle and driver documents,"
Barre said. "However, that is our duty as a government and we will not
stop."
The request to arm traffic police is still pending, Barre told Sabahi
on Monday (July 14th), so for now, Somali national police officers will
continue providing them security.
When asked if the plan was too costly for the city of Mogadishu,
Barre said the federal government would pay for the additional police
presence.
Already, traffic police can be seen along Mogadishu's roads under the
protection of armed Somali police. Security has also been beefed up at
the traffic police headquarters in Mogadishu's Shangani district with
armed personnel standing guard.
Barre said Somali security forces have arrested one suspect in
connection to the latest killing, and that the suspect confessed to the
crime and police are still questioning him.
'We are determined'
Abdulqadir Abdullahi Sheikh Ali, a 28-year-old Somali traffic police
corporal, said that apart from the grief they feel at the loss of their
colleagues, the work of the traffic police will not be affected by the
attacks.
"We come to work every morning as usual," he told Sabahi. "There is
no fear among the traffic police, but we are alert to the attacks that
are targeting us. We are determined to work for our people whatever the
situation becomes."
While some drivers and Mogadishu residents support the arming of
traffic police, others worry that putting more weapons on the streets
could pose a danger to the public.
"I am really worried about the weapons and the soldiers placed on the
intersections," said Mohamed Abdulqadir, 34, driver of a public
transportation vehicle in Mogadishu. "Al-Shabaab has threatened to
attack the traffic police and the officers have vowed to defend
themselves. That will pose a problem to the public when there is a
confrontation."
"We would prefer that [armed] officers do not stand on the roads or
for the government to find another solution for ensuring traffic
security," he said.
But Ibrahim Gurey, a 26-year-old general store owner who drives to
work every day along the busy Maka al-Mukarama Road, welcomed the
resolve of the traffic police to continue their work despite the
threats.
"However they do their work, traffic police are necessary for the
roads, especially in a country like Somalia where problems and
lawlessness have prevailed for more than 20 years," he told Sabahi.
"If they cannot continue their work without weapons, then they have
to arm themselves so that they can continue with their service to the
public," he said. "[Otherwise,] who will direct traffic? Who will uphold
traffic laws if the traffic police flee in fear?"