AU steps up training of Somali police officers to counter violent extremism

Mogadishu [Somalia], March 5: The African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) said on Tuesday that its police component has wrapped up a week-long training for Somali police officers to sharpen their skills in preventing and countering violent extremism.
The AUSSOM's Police Training and Development Department trained 12 officers in South West State to enhance the capacity of the force to secure Shaati Gaduud International Airport by gathering intelligence and identifying dangerous items, such as explosives, in the state.
"These courses will build capacity and enhance the skills of participants in preventing and countering violent extremism," Alex Magezi, lead trainer for the AUSSOM's police component, said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
Magezi said such consistent training is important to strengthen security at Somalia's vital entry and exit points, and to help prepare the Somali Security Forces to assume full responsibility for the country's security.
According to the AU mission, topics included aviation security, explosives detection, terrorism investigation, incident management, intelligence gathering, and suspect processing procedures.
The AU mission's police component is mandated to provide specialized training, advice, mentoring, and operational support, including joint patrols and protection of vital installations in line with the Somali Transition Plan.
The training came as the extremist group al-Shabab still controls some parts of rural southern and central Somalia and continues to carry out attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere.
Source: Xinhua News Agency