Law enforcement officials from across Somaliland civilian security institutions have attended an EU run training course to become mentors and trainers within their organizations. The course was one of the first EU facilitated instructor courses specifically targeted at officials across the civilian law enforcement spectrum in Somaliland.
The two week “Training of Trainers” course took place in Hargeisa and was facilitated by the EU Capacity Building Mission (EUCAP), an EU civilian mission. It was attended by officers from the Somaliland Police Commission and Police Training Academy, Immigration, the Coast Guard, and by officials from the Ministry of Justice.
Claus Andersen, Coastal Policing Adviser with EUCAP’s Hargeisa Office, said the training aimed to improve institutional training knowledge, by providing participants with the expertise to fully plan and teach the courses needed by their organisations.
“It is aimed the course will enable each institution to take ownership of their training needs and sustainably carry out courses relevant to them in the future,” he said.
Captain Ibrahim Mahamed Jama, Vice-Head of the Interpol Office, said the training course was also a key opportunity for law enforcement professionals to build relationships and share information with each other.
“This training was distinctive in that many government institutions came to one place for two weeks and exchanged information and knowledge about each of our work areas,” he said.
“The ability to share such expertise and cooperate will help us to work towards one common goal, which is the development of our law enforcement institutions,” Captain Jama added.
First Lieutenant Muniira Mahamoud Aadan, of the Somaliland Coast Guard, said the training was very useful.
“The most interesting thing for me was the techniques of the training, for example the BOPPPS (participatory learning approach) technique for the preparation of lessons,” she said.
“I can now apply the knowledge to develop my own training skills, and in my role can work to transfer these skills and experiences gained to colleagues, and to new recruits,” Lieutenant Aadan added.
Speaking at the closing event of the course, the First Deputy of the Somaliland Coast Guard, Brigadier General Hassan Ali Awad, said he hoped the officers attending would now be fully aware of how to carry out courses in each of their organisations.
“I hope you will put this into effect when you get back to your stations and pass on to your colleagues what the experts here have taught,” he said.
The Training of Trainers course was run by the European Union Capacity Building Mission as part of long term support to maritime and broader civilian law enforcement development in Somaliland.
