Kismayo – A three-day vetting and recruitment exercise for Jubaland police has ended today in Kismayo, the administrative capital of Jubaland State.
The exercise was conducted by the Jubaland Police Vetting and Recruitment Committee, supported by the police component of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
The conclusion of the exercise paves way for the commencement of training for the 300 recruits to be drafted into the Jubaland police, to boost security in the region.
“The recruitment exercise is intended to increase the number of Jubaland police so that they can fight crime and provide security in the region,” said the ATMIS Police Communication Information Technology Services (CITS) Advisor, Superintendent of Police (SP) Ibrahim Sini.
SP Sini noted that the recruitment exercise is to help build the capacity of the police in the region, ahead of the planned transfer of security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces (SSF) by the end of December 2024.
“This is also in line with the Concept of Operations (CONOPs) and the Somali Transition Plan,” he added.
In his opening remarks on Friday, the Jubaland Police Spokesperson, Colonel Jama’a Ahmed Hassan, noted that the recruits were subjected to a rigorous and transparent process.
“The recruits are from different clans and were selected based on their academic qualifications. We expect them to return to their home districts to enhance security,” Col. Hassan said.
The vetting and recruitment exercise was preceded by a training, conducted by ATMIS police, for the Jubaland Police Vetting and Recruitment Committee, composed of traditional elders, representatives of civil society, women’s groups, and the Jubaland police.
ATMIS police has the mandate to train, mentor, and advise the SPF in order to help build its capacity to meet international policing standards.