Mogadishu(SONNA)– The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has awarded service medals and certificates to 159 outgoing officers from the second contingent of Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit in recognition of their contribution towards the achievement of the AMISOM Police mandate on the peacekeeping mission.
The Sierra Leone contingent including 30 female officers served in Kismayu, Jubaland State. They were awarded on Sunday at the AMISOM Police Headquarters in Mogadishu, during a medal parade to mark the end of their 16-month tour of duty in Somalia for their stand out performance and support to Jubaland Police Forces with whom they served with.
The ceremony to decorate them was graced by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia Ambassador Francisco Madeira and attended by AMISOM Police Commissioner Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Augustine Magnus Kailie and his Somalia counterpart Somalia Police Force (SPF) Commissioner Major General Abdi Hassan Mohamed.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Madeira commended the officers for their contribution in the Somali peace process, saying their accomplishment was outstanding.
“You performed your tasks exceptionally well, especially given the critical roles you played in securing the Jubaland elections. I also know that you undertook joint patrols with your counterparts in the Jubaland Police Force, and took part in joint stop-and-search operations with the Jubaland police officers. You also engaged in crowd control, VIP escorts, provision of 24/7 camp guard duties, assisted in MOVCON (Movement Control) activities, and also very critically, you monitored and mentored the SPF in Jubaland. These were all great accomplishments, and you should all be proud of yourselves,” said Ambassador Francisco Madeira.
The SRCC lauded the Sierra Leone contingent for conducting themselves in a professional and observing human rights of every individual they interacted with while on the mission.
“You have operated in a theatre of asymmetric conflict but you have discharged your mandates by strictly adhering to human rights legal frameworks, using force only when necessary and to the extent required for the performance of your legitimate police functions,” Ambassador Madeira added.
Ambassador Madeira led the observation of a minute of silence in honor of a departed senior officer from the unit, Inspector Abu Bangura, who sadly passed away from illness while receiving further medical care at a hospital in Nairobi, Kenya.
As part of the ceremony, Ambassador Madeira and AMISOM Police Commissioner, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Augustine Magnus Kailie, inspected an 11-man guard-of-honor, mounted by officers from the Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit 2 (SLFPU2).
On his part, AMISOM Police Commissioner, AIGP Augustine Magnus Kailie, said the Sierra Leone contingent played an important role of working alongside the SPF, mentoring and training them to prepare them to take on the full responsibility of maintaining law and order in the country when AMISOM leaves.
“Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit 2 arrived during a very important time when AMISOM is implementing the Somali Transition Plan, which is a guide for the gradual and conditions-based transfer of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces ahead of AMISOM’s exit from Somalia. It gives me great pleasure to say that the SLFPU2 executed their role with dedication, selflessness and distinction,” said AIGP Kailie.
Somali Police Force Commissioner, Major General Abdi Hassan Mohamed, thanked the Sierra Leone contingent for their service to Somalia and commiserated with the family of the departed officer, saying his death was not in vain, and that the work done by the unit meant a lot to Somalia.
“We will remember you for the rest of our lives here in Somalia, especially in Jubaland. Thank you so much for your contribution, thank you for your courage, and thank you for what you have done for Somalia to stand on its feet. Also, I have a condolence message for you for the loss of Inspector Abu Bangura. He died for the sake of the Somali people, and we appreciate, on behalf of the government of Somalia, especially as Police Commissioner of Somalia. I send condolences to his family, to his unit, and to his country,” Somalia SPF Commissioner Major General Abdi Hassan Mohammed said.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Edison Vandi, the Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit Contingent Commander, said the brotherhood between his unit and the SPF officers they worked with in Jubaland was a memory to write home about.
“I want to send a special thanks to the Jubaland Police Force where we served for a period of 16 months; they have been great. We interacted very well, and we looked at ourselves as brothers and sisters. I can vividly remember during our contribution in the state presidential elections of Jubaland, we served together, did everything together and achieved together. I want to say they are a professional force, and they are growing,” said SP Edison Vandi.
Formed Police are the armed unit of AMISOM Police, and their role is hugely operational, giving them a para-military outlook. They carry out joint patrols with the Somali Police Force (SPF), assist in public order management, provide VIP escort services, hold cordon-and-search operations, and protect Individual Police Officers (IPOs) while they are out in the field mentoring and training the SPF at different police stations. Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda are the other countries with Formed Police Units in Somalia serving under AMISOM.
