The Police Commissioner of the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Augustine Magnus Kailie, has visited the Formed Police Unit personnel to assess their readiness to secure the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
On a visit to the Jazeera II camp in Mogadishu on Friday, AIGP Kailie also assessed the needs of the Formed Police personnel from Nigeria and Uganda ahead of the upcoming elections and briefed them on their policing roles while serving with AMISOM.
“You are here to perform certain duties – that is, providing security for meetings, guarding government installations, providing escort duties to Individual Police Officers, providing VIP escorts, and a host of others,” said AIGP Kailie.
He added, “You are here at a crucial moment. We as peacekeepers will depend on you to secure electoral materials, electoral centres, and other duties you are expected to perform.”
AIGP Kailie also called on the AMISOM Formed Police personnel to exercise impartiality while performing their duties.
“Here, we are peacekeepers. And as such, I hope you will behave like peacekeepers. Our neutrality and impartiality should not be doubted,” AIGP Kailie said.
AMISOM Formed Police personnel provide operational support that includes VIP escort and protection services, training and assisting the Somali Police Force, SPF, in public order management, conducting joint patrols, securing key government installations and high level events. They will also play a role in securing Somalia’s upcoming national elections.
The AMISOM Police Operations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Daniel Ali Gwambal, asked the Formed police personnel to standby for rapid deployment.
“Apart from your normal duties, we have a task ahead of us, which is the general election. You should brace yourselves. There might be movement depending on where this election will take place. At the same time, you will be deployed alongside our military counterparts and Individual Police Officers,” said Gwambal.
The FPU personnel expressed readiness to perform their policing duties in line with the AMISOM mandate and protect women and children.
Inspector of Police Veronica Williams, from the Nigerian FPU contingent said, “I will carry out my duty effectively by protecting women and children in this forthcoming election in Somalia, and I pray that it will be a successful one.”
Corporal Evelyn Eba, also said the personnel were ready to support their Somali Police Force counterparts to secure the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
“We are to assist our Somali brothers in maintaining security. We have been taught our roles during the elections, and we are ready to perform them,” said Eba.
