Somalia: KDF troops hand over newly built police station in Jubaland

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] contingent under the AU Mission in Somalia handed over a newly constructed police station to Jubaland authorities in Dhobley, in what is part of the transition plan ahead of exit from Somalia.

Danish government-funded the facility, with the KDF doing most of the groundwork, AMISOM said. The police station is set to improve the security situation in Somalia, which has struggled with decades of civil war and Al-Shabaab menace.

The facility will improve community policing besides helping to provide mentorship for Jubaland forces within Dhobley and surrounding areas which is steered by AMISOM police component, the force said in a statement. AMISOM mentors police officers in Somalia.

Brig. Paul Njema, the AMISOM Sector II commander, presided over the Sunday's function which was attended by police component and local Jubaland officials, who work closely with the KDF team to improve security within the region.

Brig. Njema, spoke on behalf of the Special Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia, [SRCC], Ambassador Francisco Madeira, AMISOM said.

“We want to say, Dhobley continues to be secure, it has grown to a very big town, and of course when towns grow they come with challenges and these challenges are what we are trying to address," noted the KDF general.

"Part of it being this station and the others because if you go round to town there are other basic infrastructures that need to be put in place to ensure that the community here in Dhobley is secure and they are safe,” Brig. Njema added.

Siyad Mohamed Hassan, the District Administration officer for Dhobley, lauded AMISOM for its endless efforts to support Somali people besides mentoring the Somalia Police Force. He promised Dhobley residents would work closely with the police in order to make use of the new police station.

“The police were in need of such a facility to help better serve the community and we are really grateful to our AMISOM brothers and we promise to make use of the facility,” said the administrator, who works closely with Jubaland President Ahmed Madobe.

Dhobley Police Commander Major Mohamed Abdi Dihiye said the police post would have better security due to the exponential growth of the local population in the town located almost near the common border between Kenya and Somalia.

“Dhobley town has grown before it used to be small but now it has expanded. We would wish two more police stations to be constructed in the extreme ends of the town in the north and west that comes under the Dhobley police station,” he noted.

Deputy Superintendent of Police [DSP] Grace Aremu, the Dhobley AMISOM Police Team Leader promised the people of Dhobley AMISOM will continue to support them and their government during this transition period.

“We erected the groundbreaking of this police station on 17th February 2020 and today 17th May 2020, we are here to do the official commissioning and handing over to the Dhobley police for their official use and us still to have more of this for Dhobley people,” she said as quoted by AMISOM.

Jubaland Police Officer Miski Mohamed Ali is excited the new facility will help them better serve the community, given that for years, the officers had been operating on makeshift camps.

“We are very much delighted with the new station because the old structure that we used to operate used to leak during the rainy season, it was stuffy and congested but now I am happy the new station is nice and cool,” said Miski.

“We are very delighted with the new station because the old structure that we operated in used to leak during the rainy season. It was also stuffy and congested. The new station is a vast improvement and our services to the community shall improve also,” Miski said.

This comes barely a month after the KDF troops also handed over a newly established Forward Operating Base within the same town to Somali National Army [SNA], which is set to take over security responsibilities in 2021 from AMISOM troops.

Under the Somalia Transition Plan, the troops will leave in December 2021. Of the 22,000 peacekeeping forces in Somalia, there are close to 3,500 troops from Kenya who majorly operates on Sectors II and VI within the Jubaland state.

GAROWE ONLINE