AMISOM and partners launch asset management training for Somali Police Force

A weeklong asset management technical training programme for senior and mid-level officers of the Somali Police Force (SPF) has kicked off in Mogadishu. The aim is to help participants develop effective and efficient control and management skills for all Somali Police assets.

The training launched on Saturday by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is funded by the Joint Police Programme (JPP), and attended by 18 SPF officers from the departments of logistics, communications, and transport; and others from the SPF Directorate of Training and Planning.

The launch was jointly presided over by the AMISOM Police Commissioner, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIGP) Augustine Magnus Kailie, and SPF AMISOM Liaison Officer, Brigadier General (Brig. Gen.) Mohamed Abdul Dore, who represented the SPF Commissioner.

AIGP Kailie said the training, which is in line with the AMISOM Police capacity building mandate to the SPF, will enhance accountability for SPF assets and ultimately lead to efficiency and effectiveness in policing.

“Police assets support the effectiveness and efficiency of any police organisation. Our operational and administrative needs cannot be achieved without the use of police assets. Trainings like this allows police organisations to be able to procure assets, receive, maintain, monitor and account for their use as well as being aware of the right disposal procedures,” said AIGP Kailie.

The lead trainer and AMISOM Reform Restructuring & Development Coordinator (RR&D), Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Maxwell Chikunguru, said after the training participants would be able to run database management systems among other important skills, as well as accurately recording asset information such as asset acquisition, asset movements and maintenance to reduce loss and misuse.

Brig. Gen. Dore thanked AMISOM for its continued support to the SPF, and said the training would be rolled out to SPF officers in other regions of the country to build expertise in asset management.

“There is no doubt that AMISOM has stood with us through it all. Thanks, in particular to AMISOM Police for the training. We never had an asset management system, but now we do. We shall be rolling out the same training to our officers in the regions so that they can plug into the centralised automated system, which is now ready to be used,” said Brig. Gen. Dore.

The Police Programme Advisor in the Federal Ministry of Internal Security, Adan Yusuf Salah, said the system will contribute to the work of the SPF and guarantee judicious use of public assets.

“The asset management system in place has excess capacity to accommodate all SPF assets. Take advantage of this training to effectively use it and manage our assets, since you have a huge responsibility. Any Police asset, including land, vehicles, or even pens have to have a code so we can ably track them. This is public property, and we need to manage it well,” said Salah.

The JPP donors were represented by Anna-Karin Davidsson, Police Advisor, United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM). She said donors are happy to facilitate the implementation of the system which will help improve accountability.

“This Asset Management Policy provides guidance to the police services in Somalia and includes an electronic asset management system that sets the foundation for this Technical Asset Management Training commencing today,” said Ms. Davidsson.

Other JPP donors at the launch included the European Union, United Kingdom AID, UNDP, UNOPS, and GTZ (German Cooperation). The JPP’s overall goal in Somalia is to provide institutional support to improve Peace, Security, Justice, the Rule of Law, and safety of Somalis.

*Source African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)