4:26:12 PM
Thursday May 9, 2019
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has conducted training for officials of South West State who will vet recruits seeking to join the police force.
AMISOM Police in collaboration with the South West State, held the training workshop on Tuesday, ahead of the recruitment of about 400 personnel for the South West Police Force.
The South West state vetting committee, which includes opinion leaders, will be responsible for mobilizing the public to enlist in the Police Force, taking into consideration representation from the various clans. All six members of the South West State police vetting committee were trained on the approved guidelines for police vetting and police recruitment policy in the one-day workshop held in Baidoa which was facilitated by UN Police advisors and AMISOM Police.
The yet to be recruited South West police personnel will secure the Baidoa-Mogadishu Main Supply Route and provide security in neighbouring population centers.
This is in line with the AMISOM Concept of Operations and Somalia Transition Plan.
During the recruitment exercise, the vetting committee members will liaise with authorities to identify recruits at the registration center.
They will also coordinate and assist various clan elders to identify and distribute enrolment forms to prospective police recruits.
Maxwell Chikunguru, the AMISOM Police Reforms, Restructuring, and Development Coordinator, said the vetting committee will support the process to recruit the right people into the police force. Chikunguru added that the training workshop is in support of efforts to recruit competent and adequate police personnel to take over policing responsibilities when AMISOM eventually exits Somalia in 2021.