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Somalilandsun- Yasmin Hussein is a 24 years old Police officer from Somaliland and today she is one of the graduates from University of Hargeisa. She had joined the Somaliland Police almost four years ago immediately after she had completed her secondary school. She had seen a television commercial on local TV channel that recruitments were ongoing and that new police officers were required. This is when she took the opportunity and applied for the job and her candidature was accepted. Yasmin was inducted into the police at the Mandhera Police Academy and after the training she was appointed to the Deputy Police Commissioner’s office as an assistant. She was nominated for the two-year diploma programme among 60 other officers. After a written exam by the University, Yasmin was one of the 30 officers accepted to undergo the course. Today she is happy that she graduated from this programme and ready to take what she learned back to the community. “I have high hopes, I always wanted to be a Police officer. I am not going to stop until I become the Commissioner” she said.
Yasmin’s story is that of one of the 22 men & 8 women who graduated today from University of Hargeisa after completion of a two-year scholarship programme funded by European Union through the UN supported Joint Rule of Law Programme. The programme aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Somaliland Police to be able to provide better services to the community in a more professional manner.
During this two-year programme, the students have successfully completed four semesters covering about 24 courses including criminology, terrorism, cybercrime, international law, conflict resolution, identifying criminals, money laundering and others.
The University’s President Prof. Mohamoud Farah congratulated the graduates and expressed his gratitude for UNDP’s technical and financial assistance during the entire course of the programme. “We at the university are ready to provide the platform and means to capacitate Police officers and extend the programme to provide Degree certificates which will be more results oriented and meaningful” said the President. The Somaliland Police Commissioner was also present at this important ceremony and congratulated all the students and the Law faculty.
The Dean of the Faculty of Law Mr. Mohamoud Hussein thanked EU and UNDP for the support and the good collaboration. “We are keen to focus on better educated police to serve the needs of the community.
Saeed Abdillahi from UNDP Hargeisa office congratulated the students and mentioned that this programme was part of a wider police reforms programme that was being implemented through the UN’sJoint Rule of Law programme. The reforms programme includes support for the development of police legislation, police strategic plan and overall systemic reforms for the Somaliland police service. This scholarship programme is one of the Somaliland Police Reform’s Strategic Priorities that contributes in the realization of a dynamic police that is competent and professionally well-trained.
