Thursday March 31, 2022
Somalia has inaugurated a high-tech maritime facility for
the police to boost security along the coastline as the country continues to
expand its blue economy, officials said.
UN Secretary-General's deputy special representative for
Somalia, Anita Kiki Gbeho said the facility will provide an operational base
from which the Somalia Police Force (SPF) can operate around Mogadishu Port and
along the 3,300 km Somali coastline, as well as help build a long-term maritime
law enforcement capacity.
"In recent years Somalia has expanded its maritime law
enforcement capability, allowing the SPF to deliver safety and security around
Mogadishu Port and along Somalia's coastline. This furnished and equipped base
will allow the SPF to become increasingly more effective," Gbeho said in a
statement issued on Wednesday evening.
She said the 3 million U.S. dollar facility funded by the
European Union and developed by the UN will support the development of
Somalia's ocean governance structures.
Gbeho said maritime security and law enforcement will need
to continue playing an enabling role for Somalia to continue expanding its blue
economy and benefit from wealth generating opportunities its vast coast offers.
The UN said the facility whose construction began in 2018,
is made up of a furnished headquarters block with information technology
equipment, a detention facility, a floating jetty and boat ramp, and an
accommodation unit.
The facility has been equipped with maritime communications
equipment to enable operational readiness, and 60 maritime law enforcement
officers have been provided with training and workshops on maritime law
enforcement, marine engineering and maritime communications.
UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)'s regional
representative for East Africa, Neil J. Walsh said the facility will support
Somalia's fight against transnational and maritime organized crime.