The African Union Mission in Somalia, (AMISOM) has started the biometric registration of the Darwish militia in Jubbaland state, preceding their integrating into the state’s security forces.
Over five-thousand members of the militia group will be registered in Gedo, Lower Juba and Middle Juba regions. The biometric registration entails collection of key personal data including photographs and fingerprints of each member of the group.
“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.
Abili said the militia will be integrated either into the Jubbaland state’s police force, the paramilitary or the Somali National Army.
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.
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 Jubbaland Force Commander Brigadier General Adan Mohamud Ibrahim described the exercise as “critical” for the region. “We are ready to avail all the troops everywhere, so that they will be registered,” he stated.
He called on AMISOM, the UN and other partners to continue supporting them 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.
