Somali police and AMISOM agree to intensify Mogadishu security ahead of elections

Mogadishu:– Ahead of the upcoming elections in Somalia, the Somali Police Force (SPF) and the police component of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are going to beef up security in Mogadishu through joint patrols to help deter cases of violence and insecurity.

The proposed security plan was discussed on Tuesday in Mogadishu when the two sides met at the Banadir Regional Police headquarters, led by the SPF Commander for Banadir Region General Sadiq Omar Hassan and AMISOM Police Commissioner, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP), Augustine Magnus Kailie.

Speaking after holding a closed-door meeting with Gen. Hassan, AMISOM Police Commissioner Kailie said the meeting with SPF was very productive and he called upon residents of Mogadishu to closely work with the police in order to improve the security of their city. He said the outcome of their meeting was that intensified joint operations between SPF and AMISOM police would be undertaken to help secure Mogadishu, and the greater region.

“We are here to give you backup. The Security of Somalia will eventually be handed over to you. So now that you are leading, we are by your side, supporting you. That is the essence of why we are here as AMISOM, so that we can deliberate on the modalities of how we can assist you in joint patrols within the city,” AIGP Kailie said to his host.

“Let the community be friends with the police. Let them be part of the policing system because the number of policemen on ground is way below that of all the people in Somalia. So if we cooperate with them, if they decide to be part of the policing system, the intelligence network will be perfect,” Kailie added.

The two parties also discussed key security concerns in the upcoming elections, and challenges facing SPF in the region, to which AIGP Kailie pledged AMISOM police’s support.

“We need teamwork. Any activity or any deployment concerning Mogadishu we are ready to collaborate, whether it’s mobile on patrols or on a joint task force for Ramadhan operations. We need to work closely on everything,” said General Mohamed Abdul Dore, the Somali Police Force liaison to AMISOM.

AIGP Kailie was accompanied to the meeting by key members of his leadership team, including AMISOM Police Chief of Staff, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Rex Dundun; DCP Daniel Ali Gwambal, the AMISOM Police Operations and Formed Police Units Coordinator; Senior Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Rono, the AMISOM Police Reform Restructuring and Development Coordinator; and Assistant Commissioner of Police Koffi Avemenku, the AMISOM Police Training and Development Coordinator.