The Ugandan police contingent serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has been asked to help Somali security forces secure the forthcoming elections scheduled before the year-end, says Uganda Deputy Police Commissioner Christine Alalo.
The Ugandan security forces had a duty to help Somalia hold a successful electoral process which would culminate in the election of a new president on Oct 30, this year, Alalo said Sunday at the closure of an induction course for more than 100 Formed Police Unit (FPU) officers serving in the police component of AMISOM.
The contingent, the fifth from Uganda to serve with the mission, arrived in Somalia early this month on a one-year tour of duty, to offer operational support to the Somali Police Force (SPF).
“These elections are not going to be like the one in your country where everyone votes. It is a different kind of election that will take place here but we are expected to ensure that it is done very well,” Alalo, who is the AMISOM Deputy Police Commissioner said.
The training, which had focused on the AMISOM code of conduct, gender-based violence, Somali people and their culture, stress management and election security, was aimed at educating the officers on the AMISOM mandate and to prepare them for the rigours of duty.
The function in Mogadishu was attended by the AMISOM Police Chief of Staff, Rex Dundun; AMISOM Police Co-ordinator of Training Francis Aryee; Acting AMISOM Police Operations Co-ordinator Senior Superintendent of Police Emmanuel Mukama and the AMISOM Police Gender Officer Assistant Superintendent of Police Lydia Otu-Nyarko.
Alalo urged the Ugandan contingent to work closely with the Somali Police Force and police contingents from other countries to help stabilize the country. Noting that one of the mandates of AMISOM is to build the capacity of the Somali Police Force, she urged the officers to ensure the objective was achieved.