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Somalia Police Force and UNODC adopt criminal investigation management online training 

Mogadishu, Somalia, 1 June 2020 - The Somalia Police Force and UNODC have concluded Investigation Management and Administration Training (IMAT 2) for 12 Somali Police Force officials in the Federal Member States of South West and Puntland. 

The training course, delivered as part of the UNODC Criminal Investigation Programme (CIP) for Somalia - funded by the U.S. Department of State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) - focused on the management and administration of Human Resource files, record keeping, collection of crime statistics, training records, and personal evaluations. 

Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, UNODC assisted with conducting the three-day capacity building workshops from 16-18 May in Puntland and 26-28 May 2020 in South West via video conferencing. 

The training was conducted by Somali trainers who successfully completed the three-week UNODC Training-of-Trainers during January and February 2020, and who have been mentored by UNODC advisors.

The course utilised new UNODC training materials designed and translated into Somali to assist in the training of Chief of Investigators, Deputy Chief of Investigations, and Investigation Administrators.

“In consultation with the Somalia Police Force and INL, we agreed it was of vital importance for this training to continue despite the pandemic, to maintain the momentum we’ve been building together since January. We were able to adapt the training and make it work using video conferencing which has benefitted both the trainers and trainees,” UNODC's Head of Transnational Organized Crime, Illicit Trafficking and Terrorism Programmes for Eastern Africa, Mr. Johan Kruger said. 

The training curriculum also included hands-on exercises on knowledge sharing in relation to criminal investigations, illustrating both the fundamentals and complexity of criminal investigations, while ensuring a strong victim-centred approach. 

It is a continuation of capacity building activities being implemented by the UNODC Regional Office for Eastern Africa together with the Somali Police Force through CIP.

The goal of CIP, being 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 - is to enhance the investigation capacity of the Somali Police Force, both at the Federal level and within each Federal Member State.

Accordingly, the programme seeks to enhance and systematise the capacity the Somali Police Force and its CID to investigate serious and organized crime in accordance with international treaty obligations and standards.

The programme also aims to develop and enable a group of investigators who will be able to investigate these crimes while also assisting the Somalia Police Force and its CID in the development and support of specialist investigation units, both Federal and Federal Member State level.