Somalia Police on study tour in Sierra Leone

Awoko
Thursday, February 28, 2013

advertisements

A high powered delegation from Somalia Police Force (SPF) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are currently in Sierra Leone on a study visit, to acquaint themselves with the successes of peace in the country.

The team which arrived on Monday comprises of SPF Commissioner, General Sharif Shekuna Maye and other three senior officers, accompanied by AMISOM police Commissioner and AMISOM Police Reform, Restructuring and Development Coordinator.

Sierra Leone has been identified as a record success story that Somalia could benefit from by sharing experiences.

Head of Police Media, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Ibrahim Samura said that the team considered Sierra Leone as post-conflict country that has made tremendous improvement in consolidating peace and stability.

ASP Samura added that the purpose of the visit is to learn the best policing practices in Sierra Leone which led to a peaceful society, adding that Sierra Leone is a success story in the international world.
The Head of the Media, said that since the end of the war “the SLP has been maintaining peace and stability in the country and there has been a lot of transformation and restructuring” .

He said the Police has the Family Support Unit (FSU), the Media Department, the Transnational Crime Unit, the Community Relations Unit, the Corporate Services Department and the Legal and Justice Department.

He added that the team is in Sierra Leone to look at the Sierra Leone Police Force as a case study because Somalia is also faced with a bloody civil war which has lasted for over two decades.
ASP Samura said that the team has visited the Inspector General, Francis Munu where they were briefed, the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Vice President and have also held talks with the Office of the National Security.

He said when the team returns back to Somalia, they will be able to consolidate peace and maintain stability. He noted that there are some parts of Somalia like Mogadishu, which is 95% free from Al-Shabaab and other areas that have been liberated and as they are liberating, they want to also consolidate primacy in those areas. This he said can be done through capacitating their police force and before doing that, they want to come to a post conflict country.

The Inspector General of Police, Francis Munu held discussions and exchanged ideas on key aspects such as civil war experiences and challenges; post conflict recovery reconstruction, with a specific focus on re-building of the SLP from ashes of war; consultations with ordinary members of Sierra Leone communities to learn about the local needs Policing Concept; visistations to selected police stations and other establishments; and the role of the international community in supporting the efforts and processes.

Home
Email

Hiiraan Online