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SOMALIA: Turkey accepts 80 police recruits

June 30, 2012 - Written by maamule - Edited bymaamule

MOGADISHU — The transitional federal government of Somalia sent its first unit of police recruits to Turkey on Friday in a move likely to bolster political stability in the Muslim nation.

Turkey has accepted 80 cadets from the Somali police force who are set to be trained to become officers and sergeants. The Somali police commissioner, General Sharif S. Una-Maye told local media the trainees were selected based on their individual talents and skills. “They will be flown to Turkey after satisfactorily completing tests,” he said.

He saw them off at Aden Adde international airport where the Turkish national carrier was waiting for them along with Turkish officials.

Turkey pledged to train and equip Somalia’s security forces in 2010 during the first Istanbul conference. The Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has promised to assist the African country with its security challenges along with education, infrastructure and development.

Turkish military police units will train the inadequately trained and ill-equipped Somali force teaching them basic skills such as arrest procedures, traffic control and field communications.

A number of African states including Nigeria and Uganda also pledged their support to train the Somali force. A number of special police units are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Since Turkey’s involvement, Somalia has made a complete u-turn and for the first time is optimistic about a possible solution after two decades of crisis.

By Qalinle Hussein