Uganda to Deploy 160 Police Officers in Somalia

160 police officers will be dispatched to Somalia in December to replace their colleagues serving under the Formed Police Unit (FPU) in the Horn of Africa nation.

In a Thursday statement, police said the officers had completed a 6 month intensive pre-deployment training course in Peacekeeping Operations of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

“The Officers, during the training at Kigo, were assessed by a team of five Formed Police Assessment officers led by ASP Figalo Maxime from AMISOM Headquarters,” reads the statement.

In Somalia, according to the statement, the officers will provide public order management, protection of African Union personnel and facilities within means and capabilities, and Support police operations that require a formed response.

The Government of Uganda deployed the first Formed Police Unit (FPU) in Somalia under AMISOM in July 2012 after the UPDF had deployed there earlier on in 2007.

Units have rotated on an annual basis and the deployment of this Unit will make the tenth rotation of Uganda FPU in Somalia under African Union (AU).