Kenyan-trained Somalia police ready for duty

By BONIFACE ONGERI

At 35, Farah Hussein has seen it all and gunshots no longer send a cold shiver down his spine.

Since the fall of former Somali dictator Mohammed Siad Barre’s government in 1991, his country has known nothing but bloodshed and hopelessness.

He has witnessed some of the gory war scenes he will not forget in his life. He has witnessed rebels rout successive governments that tried to succeed Barre.

But he is finally hopeful that the madness in his country was about to end following the intervention of friendly neighbours.

"I have witnessed nothing but bloodshed. I can’t stomach the sights of dismembered bodies anymore. All this must come to an end", he says with bitterness.

Hussein is among 192 Somali security officers undergoing a three-month intensive training at the Kenya Wildlife Service -owned Manyani Training center near Mombasa.

These Somalia police recruits display their skills at the Manyani training center

"The Al Shabaab rebels are the biggest headache to the rule of law and order in Somalia. I want to help halt their activities," he said

NOT SCARED

He added: "I know they are dangerous but with the training I have received here, I am ready to face them for the sake of civilians who have suffered all these years."

The training is expected to revamp the Somali police force.

The officers who have been in the camp for more than a month would graduate in March this year.

The Somali police unit dissolved at the collapse of Somali government in 1991 and is just picking up. There are about 20 female officers undergoing the refresher course. One of them – Shamsa Mohammed said she is not scared of Al Shabaab militiamen and would help to crush them.

"We will overrun them this time round. Wait till we graduate, their days are numbered", she said fuming with anger. "I know they would laugh and underrate women but we will show them we are better trained", she said.

Assistant Minister in the Office of the President Simeon Lesirma who was at the camp on Tuesday, said Kenya had offered the training facility to the Somalia government for free.

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia (Amisom) and Head of Mission Ambassador Boubacar Gaoussou Diarra said the organisation was fully committed to advice and help restructure the Somalia-bound force.

The training is conducted by Africa Union with funding from Italy.

"Amisom has targeted 3,000 more army recruits to be trained in Uganda" Diarra said during the launch of the training.

KENYAN FORCES

Steven Kasima, the Amisom Police Co-ordinator, said the skills the officers will acquire would help them supervise those joining the force.

Some of the women recruits [PHOTOS: JONAH ONYANGO/standard]

He said another training was ongoing in Djibouti. There are about 15 trainers and instructors including Kenyans.

"There are long term plans to equip police stations with necessary logistics and open more beyond Mogadishu", he said.

There have been fears that some recruits may end up joining Al Shabaab ranks once they get the training. However, Kassim said the trainers and recruits would get stipend to fend off offers from the militias.

"Maybe we can’t march what Al-Shabaab may offer but the trainees understand that they are defending their country," he said.

INTERNAL AFFAIRS

The Kenyan government has reiterated that it won’t meddle in Somalia’s internal affairs but it was concerned with spillover effects of the war into her territories.

"Kenya has borne the brunt of Somali war and we will do everything to ensure peace is restored", Lesirma said.

Italian Ambassador to Somalia Stefano Dejak said hosting the training was an indication that Kenya cared for Somalia.

"You are not only going to strengthen the government but also to protect tradition and culture which is under threat by the militants", said the envoy.

He added: "Al Shabaab will come with it’s black flag, but you have to defend, uphold and honour the Somali’s blue flag."