Tuesday September 10, 2024
A cohort of Somali police officers pictured at the Somali Police Force Headquarters. The officers are set to receive criminal investigation training in Serbia. CREDIT / Somali Embassy-Serbia
BELGRADE, Serbia (HOL) — A new cohort of Somali police officers from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has commenced specialized training in Serbia.
The program, held at Serbia's Goć Training Centre, is designed to equip officers with advanced criminal investigations and law enforcement skills. The CID officers will undergo rigorous training that includes practical law enforcement techniques, physical fitness, intelligence gathering, and simulations of complex policing scenarios.
"This opportunity provided by Serbia is critical to developing the Somali Police Force's capabilities," said Somali Ambassador to Serbia, Mohamed Abdullahi Ahmed, on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia. "We are deeply grateful for Serbia's support, which will help equip our officers with the necessary skills to ensure the safety of Somali citizens and leaders."
Somali police force commissioner Sulub Ahmed Firin also conveyed the "timely needed" support from Serbian police to Somalia, stating, "This training comes at a crucial moment for our force, equipping our officers with the skills and knowledge necessary to tackle the security challenges we face back home."
The training program reflects the growing security collaboration between the governments of Somalia and Serbia. Serbia has already played a key role in supporting Somalia's security sector. Last April, 60 Somali special security officers completed a four-month intensive program at the Marshal Josip Broz Tito Special Forces Training School in Belgrade. That training focused on providing protection for Somali political leaders and foreign dignitaries.
During the same period, Somalia's Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali (Dodishe), met with Serbian defence officials and representatives from Yugoimport SDPR, a Serbian defence company. Their discussions included potential future training programs and plans for Serbian security experts to visit Somalia.
Last week, Ambassador Ahmed met with the operator of a Serbian aviation school to secure a training program for Somali pilots.