The Somali police has urged the international community to provide support to its cash-strapped force in order to strengthen its fight against crime in the country.
Speaking to reporters in Mogadishu on Saturday, the Somali Police Commander Sharif Sheikhuna Maya said they needed ‘more support’ in order to succeed in their operations, adding that they were faced with a myriad of challenges, including rising threats from the Islamist militant group, al-Shabaab.
“We’ve been getting some training, like the one we are closing today about traffic law, but we still need more, and I’d urge our friends, such as the AU and the EU to do more,” said the police chief shortly after presiding over a pass-out parade in the capital. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Transitional Federal Government, the African Union, as well as officials from the European Union, which is funding the Somali police training project.
According to the police commander, the Somali police urgently requires training in English language skills to enable its officers to share ideas with other disciplined forces in the region and around the world. The force is also in urgent need of professional doctors and criminal investigators to help with forensic investigations. The police head said there were increased cases of suspected criminals hacking telephones. He warned security officers against using cell phones to discuss critical issues, and advised that such matters warranted a physical meeting.
Telephone hackers in Somalia
According to the TFG officers, the militant group al-Shabaab have been hacking on people’s telephones in Somalia, especially Mogadishu, while attempting to get some leads about TFG’s operations. In the recent past, the al-Shabaab fighters have killed TFG officials after issuing threats via cell-phones.