AMISOM trains Somali police to counter violent extremism

Mogadishu, Somalia | Xinhua | The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said Thursday it has completed training of 50 police personnel from Jubaland State on prevention and countering violent extremism and radicalization.

The AU mission said the training of the police officers drawn from various police stations across Jubaland aimed to enable them to identify and combat extremism, especially ahead of the national elections.

“We are using the community policing approach to identify and fight terrorism. We expect the trainees to return to their stations and train their colleagues,” Daniel Chuks, AMISOM community policing adviser said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

Chuks said the training took participants through the necessary skills to collaborate with the local communities to combat crime to safeguard lives and property.

He said the Somali Police Force will lead the National Election Security Taskforce responsible for securing the electoral process while AMISOM Police will provide them with the needed support.

The AU mission said the training also provided the Somali police officers with skills to counter the terrorists’ use of social media platforms to misinform, gather intelligence, and recruit violent extremists.

Ibrahim Sini, communication information technology services advisor to the AMISOM Police, said terror groups are using these technologies to train, recruit, and radicalize the youth who spend time on social media.

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Xinhua