Somali Police Force gets training on mitigating radicalization

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A seven-day course for 20 Somali Police Force (SPF) officers was concluded at the General Kaahiye Police Academy in Mogadishu on Saturday, with a call to the newly trained officers to work closely with members of the community to detect and eliminate extremism.

Eighteen male and two female officers from 17 police stations across Mogadishu were trained in community policing and de-radicalisation by the Police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The training, funded by the Japanese government through the African Union, is to build the capacity of the SPF through continuous mentoring and reform initiatives, in line with AMISOM’s transition plan and commitment to improving peace and security in Somalia.

SPF’s director of training and planning, Brigadier Hassan Alasow, said the training was important in equipping Somali police officers with critical policing skills meant to quickly detect and arrest insurgents and radical extremists.

“I wish to thank AMISOM for this training, for imparting skills on how to detect and handle those radicalised by extremists and how to manage the reintegration of some of them into society,” said Alasow.

AMISOM Police Commander in Charge of Training and Planning, Senior Superintendent of Police Francis Ndiema, said the training was important to create awareness within the SPF of the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.

“This course is important because it is intended to equip participants with the knowledge and skills in community servicing, but you can only achieve that through effective community policing. The intention is to fight radicalisation and extremism.,” Ndeima said.