Jubbaland starts plans to integrate thousands of militiamen into the state’s army

[Deeq A.]

Jubbaland State has started registration of over five thousand militia of the Darwish militia in Jubbaland state who will be integrated into the state security forces.

Officials from Jubbaland state collaborating with African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) are enlisting militias from Gedo, Lower and Middle Jubba regions, through biometric registration.

newinside“This is in line with AMISOM and UN programme aimed at developing the force into a police force in Jubbaland that will be mandated to keep law, order and security in the state,” Martin Abili, the AMISOM Police Coordinator in Kismayo explained.

The biometric registration entails collection of key personal data including photographs and fingerprints of each member of the group.

The Jubbaland Force Commander Brigadier Gen. Adan Mohamud Ibrahim has welcomed the process which kicks of on Friday called the exercise as “critical” for the region.

“We are ready to enlist all the fighters everywhere so that they will be registered,” he said.

He called on AMISOM, the UN and other partners to continue supporting Somali Forces in the completion of the Operational Readiness Assessments, which is an essential component for ‘right-sizing’ and reforming the Somalia National Army (SNA) and the Somali Police Force.

Mr. Adan Yusuf Sala, the Director General of Jubbaland’s Ministry of Security lauded the cooperation between AMISOM and Jubbaland state in the realization of this milestone.

The exercise, which supports the development and strengthening of Somalia’s national security institutions, is part of the security sector reform, which is viewed as a central priority for the Federal Government of Somalia and its partners, as set out in the landmark political agreement by Somali leaders on the National Security Architecture in April 2017, and the launch of the Security Pact at the London Somalia Conference on 11 May 2017.

Source: Hol