By: Yusuf M Hasan
MANDERA (Somalilandsun) – The police force has strengthened its capabilities for a fast reaction to diverse eventualities following the graduation of 100 officers at the Mandera police academy.
At a ceremony officiated by the Vice president Hon Abdirahman Abdilahi Ismail ‘Sayli’ at the Mandera Police Academy the 100 graduating officers were officially inducted into the Rapid Reaction Unit-RRU , which is a year old police unit British crack unit with specialized anti-terrorist skills British trained crack unit with specialized anti-terrorist skills conducted under funding from t and by officers from the United Kingdom
The incoming officers join their now hardened colleagues at RRU which was launched in March of 2012 to not only conduct the main duty of counter-terrorism activities but provide police departments nationwide with extra muscle whenever the need arises.
While mounting their most important guard of honour at their graduating ceremony the 100 officers who were recruited for the specialized training from various police units’ proffered gratitude for the opportunity to receive specialized training and subsequent deployment to the crack and prestigious RRU which they promised to service with dedication and distinction.
Those thanked were local and British instructors as well as the VP and his entourage that included the minister of interior Mohamed Duur Arale, State minister of Finance Osman Abdilahi Adani and Commissioner of Police Brigadier General Abdilahi Fadal Iman.
representing his boss on official visit to Turkey Dr Ahmed M Silanyo, VP Sayli who thanked the UK government for making the unit a reality not only through funding but specialized expertise as well also informed of pride the nation holds the police academy and its continued stream of a trained cadre of law enforcement officers.
While congratulating the graduate’s Interior minister Duur Arale who cautioned rumormongers terming the RRU as government tool for public subjugation said the unit was created after it became apparent that counter-terrorism and rapid reaction and deployment skills were lacking within the police force.
Revealing that the interior ministry plans to continue training more officers for the unit as well as existing ones Hon Duur Arale also thanked the UN for its Rule of Law & security-ROLS programe that has benefitted the police force and Judiciary over the years.
According to Brig General Fadal Iman the 100 officers who were recruited from various units of the police nationwide who successfully completed a three months specialized anti-terrorism training as well extra lessons like bomb disposal, fire-fighting, first aid thus the only unit to possess these hitherto unavailable skills within the country’s security forces.
As he officially inducted the 100officers to the RRU the police commissioner revealed that the crack British trained unit which will continue operate under the command of the Special Protection Unit-SPU has sufficient logistics to deploy and deal with any adverse eventualities in all corners of the country.
The SPU that provides protection to expatriates and other foreign dignitaries during official functions in Somaliland is an elite unit wholly funded by the UN following the spate of brutal murders perpetrated against expatriates by Al-Shabaab in 2003 and 2004 that saw a Annalisa Tonnelli killed in Borama, a British couple SOS school Sheikh and a Kenya development worker in Darburuq area.
The police training college which has become a beehive of activity graduated its 26th batch of recruits solely composed of Female officers numbering 150 who are to serve in various stations of the country early this month.
