United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

UNODC and Somali Police Force Commence Investigator Development Course

Somalia, 30 June 2020 – UNODC’s Criminal Investigation Program (CIP) for Somalia commenced the first module of its Investigator Development Course 1 (IDC1) for the Somali Police Force (SPF) Criminal Investigation Department (CID). The 10-day training, which will be delivered at Federal and all Federal Member States levels, aims to reinforce concepts of criminal investigation and investigative capacity of the SPF.

As part of the CIP, funded by the US State Department Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), the IDC 1 will be conducted over a 12-month period. Over a 12-month period, UNODC will be delivering 7 courses in Mogadishu and each Federal Member State – 42 in total – with a total of 252 investigators to be trained.

12 criminal investigators from Mogadishu and South West State recently graduated from the first course, while the second course has already commenced for officers from Galmudug and Hirshabelle.

With violent crime such as kidnapping, murder, piracy, illegal roadblocks, and civil unrest, as well as terrorists plotting bombings and other attacks, often with little or no warning, targeting especially government buildings, hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, government, military, and international convoys, human security and sustainable development continues to be threatened in the region.

With the overall objective of countering transnational, serious and organized crime (TOC) across Somalia, the CIP seeks to enhance and systematise the capacity of the SPF Criminal Investigation Departments (CIDs) and Units (CIUs) to effectively investigate serious and organized crime, in accordance with international treaty obligations and standards.

In April, UNODC also commenced with implementation of another component of the CIP – the fourth module of the Investigation Management and Administration Training (IMAT).

Aligned with the overall objectives of CIP, the aim of IMAT is to reinforce investigation administration and management capacity, which is crucial in supporting effective criminal investigation and operations. The first three IMAT modules covered Asset Management and 

Financial Administration; the use of Human Resources (HR) personnel files; and Managerial advantages for the use of standard operational procedures (SOPs) and daily orders.

The recently completed Module 4 on Police Management Principles, focused on managing a CID/U division, leadership objectives, decision making, change management, motivation, discipline, and basic principles of strategic planning. The training was a 3-day course delivered for officers who are serving in managerial or administrative positions, and who had all previously completed the first three modules.

The course was held from 17-19 April for Mogadishu and Puntland CID/U, 20-22 April for Galmudug and Hirshabelle CIUs, and 24-26 April for Jubaland and South West CIUs, training a total of 25 officers.

The CIP is being implemented within the framework of the UNODC Regional Programme for Eastern Africa (2016-2021) and it's regional Countering Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Programme. 

For more information, please contact: 

Mr. Johan Kruger – johan.kruger@un.org

Head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Programmes

UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa