MOMBASA, Kenya, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said on Friday that it is spearheading an ambitious police recruitment drive in Somalia's HirShabelle State to help stabilize the country.
The AU mission said the first phase of recruitment of police officers commenced with the screening, vetting and training of at least 200-new police recruits in the state's administrative capital of Jowhar.
"The recruits will undergo a three-month basic policing course, to skill them on critical aspects of policing," AMISOM said, noting that its working collaboratively with the Somali Police Force to build the capacity of the new recruits to effectively boost law enforcement in the state.
It said the training will also focus on cross-cutting issues, such as the international human rights law, the international humanitarian law and general human rights issues; including due diligence policies, which are prerequisites in their profession.
AMISOM said the recruits who are drawn from the Middle Shabelle and Hiiraan regions - two regions that make HirShabelle State - are an amalgam of trainees selected by traditional elders, politicians and other stakeholders in the state, to form an integrated force.
The AU Mission hopes to recruit a total of 800 police officers in HirShabelle State alone, as part of the transitioning of the security responsibility to the Somali security forces.
HirShabelle State was formed in 2016 during Somalia's state formation process and will benefit greatly from the new police recruits.
