United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

The UNODC Regional Office in East Africa (ROEA)

UNODC Strengthening Criminal Investigation Capacity in Somalia

Somalia, 8 September - UNODC is supporting the Somali Police Force and its Criminal Investigation Division (CID) and Criminal Investigation Units (CIUs) to strengthen their criminal investigation capacity at Federal and Federal Member States (FMS) level through the UNODC Criminal Investigation Program (CIP) for Somalia, funded by the US State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). This includes the continuous delivery of the Investigator Development Course 1 (IDC1), refurbishment at the General Kahiye Academy (GKA) and delivery of two Nissan 12-seater minibusses.

The IDC1 – part of the Investigator Development Pathway (IDP) – is a 10-day training programme developed by UNODC for criminal investigators across Somalia and aimed at reinforcing the concepts of effective criminal investigation. The second installment of the IDC 1 commenced on 12 June 2021 in Mogadishu and Baidoa, South-West State. UNODC has to date trained 88 investigators from Mogadishu (17), Hirshabelle (18), Jubaland (8), SWS (13), Galmudug (20), and Puntland (12). The IDC1 will be delivered back-to-back across Federal and all FMS until March 2022.

UNODC also recently handed over refurbishments at the General Kahiye Academy (GKA) which include two classrooms, toilettes, male dormitory and bathroom, female dormitory with bathroom, external tiling, generator, fuel tank and cage. Furthermore, UNODC presented two Nissan 12-seater minibusses to CID headquarters in Mogadishu. To complete the support to the academy, the classrooms were equipped with desks, chairs, storage cabinets and training equipment, including projectors and screens. The dormitories were equipped with beds, bedding and individual storage.

The vehicles, refurbishments and equipment will be used to effectively deliver the Investigator Development Course 2 (IDC2), which is a 6-week residential course to be delivered at the GKA.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in Mogadishu, General Osman Abdullahi Mohamed Kanif, First Deputy Police Commissioner, acknowledged and thanked UNODC for the effective cooperation with the SPF across Somalia and welcomed the continuous support that UNODC and INL provide to the SPF. General Dhore, Commander of INTERPOL National Central Bureau for Somalia and liaison for the Police Commissioner and UN agencies, stated that it was a historic moment for UNODC and INL in Somalia given the progress and extension of the current phase of the CIP until November 2022.

In turn, Mr. Johan Kruger, Head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Programmes for UNODC Eastern Africa, commended the SPF, Federal Government and FMS for their continued cooperation with UNODC and their commitment to strengthen its criminal investigation capacity including to prevent and counter serious and organized crime in Somalia. He emphasized that it was a priority for UNODC to provide infrastructure and equipment alongside training and mentoring to ensure that investigators had a conducive working environment and necessary tools to apply their knowledge and skills. Mr. Kruger also remarked that he hoped that the IDC2 residential course could commence at the GKA as soon as COVID-19 restrictions would allow for larger numbers of investigators to be present in the GKA classrooms and dormitories.

Ms. Paru Sankar, INL representative in Somalia, thanked the SPF leadership for the commitment they have shown to the program, and UNODC for making the program successful. She acknowledged that the GKA is the future of the SPF and its CID/CIUs, serving the community and promoting the rule of law. 

Mr. Kruger, together with Ms. Amelia Hannaford, CIP Programme Manager and UNODC Head of Programme Office in Somalia, also met with various counterparts in Mogadishu, including General Dhore, Commander of INTERPOL National Central Bureau for Somalia and liaison for the Police Commissioner and UN agencies, and representatives from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Judicial Training Institute of Somalia, Axiom International Ltd, and ICITAP to discuss increased cooperation and technical assistance from UNODC.

The CIP is implemented within the framework of the UNODC Regional Programme for Eastern Africa (2016-2021) and its regional Countering Transnational Organized Crime and Illicit Trafficking Programme. The aim of CIP for Somalia is to strengthen and structure the capacity of the SPF and its CID/CIUs to investigate serious and organized crime in accordance with international treaty obligations and standards. The CIP also aims to develop and operationalize specialist investigation units.

All UNODC activities in Somalia adhere to World Health Organization and the Federal Government of Somalia’s guidelines for health and safety measures in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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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