Mogadishu - The Japanese ambassador Tatsushi Terada handed over today office equipment to the Somali Police Force (SPF), procured and delivered through the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), in a further sign of the international community’s support to Somalia in security and justice. The equipment was received by Somali Police Commissioner, Brigadier General Abdihakim Dahir Sa'eed at the Somali Police Headquarters in Mogadishu. In attendance were UNSOM’s Director of Rule of Law and Security Institutions Waldemar Vrey, as well as UN and AMISOM police and senior officers of the SPF.

The handover ceremony follows a visit by Ambassador Terada to Somalia three weeks ago to present his credentials to the President of the Federal Government of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud. Since 2007, Japan has contributed about $300 million to the Federal Government of Somalia, out of which $60 million is directed to security.
Speaking during the ceremony, Commissioner Sa'eed welcomed the delegation and thanked the UN and the Japanese government for their continued support in the rehabilitation of the Somali Police Force.
“Today is an important occasion for the Somali Police Force and I say a special thanks to the government of Japan for helping us build a professional police force that seeks to serve its people well,” he said, adding that his office will be accountable for the aid given and it being put to good use.
Ambassador Terada said that is was Japan’s hope to see a society in which people are free from fear and engaging in productive activities, human security being a high priority in Japan’s international cooperation.
“Public security remains as one of the three main pillars for Japan’s assistance to Somalia and it is keen to continue its support to the Somali police officers fulfilling their noble tasks under difficult conditions,” he said.
At least $20 million has been invested through UN trust funds benefitting the Federal Government of Somalia. Speaking on behalf of the integrated UN team, Waldemar Vrey appealed to the Somali police force to use the contribution to strengthen the capacity of police officers in all regions of Somalia.
He further noted that with new operations by AMISOM and the Somali National Army upcoming, there will be very high expectations of the SPF to deploy to newly-liberated areas to maintain law and order. “For this, current and future support will be very important”, Vrey added.