MOGADISHU, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has kicked off an induction course for 39 Individual Police Officers (IPOs) to familiarize themselves with the Mission's mandate and standard operating procedures.
A statement from the AU mission said on Saturday the police officers from Kenya, Uganda, Zambia and Nigeria will be in Somalia for a year's tour of duty, where they will mentor their Somali counterparts on the best practices in policing.
"We have standard operating procedures in the Mission and each one of you will be given a copy. Go through it and make yourselves aware of what is required of you in terms of discipline, conduct and the way you interact with one another as well as the host Somalis," AMISOM Police Commissioner Brigadier. General Anand Pillay advised the inductees while opening the induction training.
The training will cover topics such as prevention of sexual and gender based violence, protection of children, humanitarian assistance, community-based policing, and elements of culture and human rights.
Pillay asked the officers to maintain a high level of discipline at all times and work diligently to contribute to Somalia's recovery.
"Our responsibility in Somalia is to build the capacity of the Somali police to a standard where they are able to police their communities and ensure their safety and security. It is a long road ahead," he said.
The AMISOM Police Component is mandated to provide mentorship and operational support to the Somali Police Force (SPF) to help it build the necessary capacity to ably handle the security needs of the country and enable the force to discharge its functions according to internationally accepted standards.
