Djibouti(Mogadishu24)-94 Somali Police Forces (SPF) completed a one-and-a-half-month training program on Wednesday, held at the Idriss Farah Habaneh Police Academy in Djibouti.

The training focused on enhancing security situations, stabilization, crowd control, and public support skills. It involved instructors from the Italian Carabinieri Corps.

These police officers are expected to return to Somalia and be deployed in various areas recently liberated from the Al-Shabaab terrorist group.

The closing ceremony was presided over by Djiboutian Minister of Defence, Hassan Omar Mohamed, Major General of Police Col. Abdirahman Ali Kahin, and officials from the Somali Police Forces led by General Abdullahi Hassan Barise.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, General Abdullahi Hassan Barise commended Djibouti for its pivotal role in training and equipping the Somali Armed Forces, emphasizing the enduring relations between the two nations.

“The Somali Police have taken crucial measures, including promoting peace and the potential takeover of national security by the Somali Armed Forces. This marks the 19th batch of forces trained here, and previous batches have been deployed in the country, achieving tangible results such as stabilizing the nation in the aftermath of conflicts like tribal clashes,” stated General Barise.

“Special thanks to the Djiboutian government, especially the police, for their support in training our forces, and to the Italian government for providing skilled instructors and equipment,” he added.

Major General of Djibouti Police, Col. Abdirahman Ali Kahin, underscored the importance of this capacity-building training for police officers.

“This is the 19th batch of Somali Police officers who have undergone intensive capacity-building training facilitated by Djiboutian Police and the Italian Carabinieri Corps. This training will equip them with skills to handle complex situations in their day-to-day duties,” Col. Kahin stated.

He reiterated the commitment of Djibouti police to provide essential support and training to their Somali counterparts.

It is part of Djibouti’s efforts to contribute to establishing security and stability in the Horn of Africa through capacity building.

Djibouti and Somalia have maintained longstanding relationships, including strong diplomatic ties, security cooperation, and cultural relations.

Djibouti is also one of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troop-contributing countries and has actively engaged in the fight against the Al-Shabaab terrorist organization, which poses a threat not only to Somalia but also to its neighbouring countries.