BY: MOHAMED SAHR
In a bid to bolster peacekeeping efforts in Somalia, the African Union (AU) has dispatched a five-member Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT) to Sierra Leone. The team’s mission is to assess and select Sierra Leone Police Officers to be deployed as Individual Police Officers (IPOs) in Somalia under the umbrella of the African Union Transition Mission.
The SAAT members arrived in Freetown over the course of the week and commenced the rigorous assessment process. Led by Lithakong Emmanuel Ntpaba, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), the assessment includes a series of tests spanning Language Competency, Driving Competency, Firearms Handling, and Interview assessments.
The selection process, held at the Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA) campus in Hastings, outside Freetown, lasted four days from April 23rd to April 26th, 2024. A total of 222 Sierra Leone Police Officers were presented by William Fayia Sellu, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to undergo the rigorous evaluation.
Following the thorough assessment, John Fayia Tumbay, Head of Peacekeeping at the ACP, revealed that 81 officers were certified as meeting the AU’s requirements for deployment in the mission theater. These officers have demonstrated proficiency in the necessary skills and competencies essential for successful peacekeeping operations in Somalia.
IGP Sellu expressed Sierra Leone’s unwavering commitment to collaborating with the AU in restoring peace in Somalia. He emphasized the readiness of the trained personnel to work diligently with the international team while upholding professionalism.
The deployment of Sierra Leone Police Officers as IPOs in Somalia underscores the nation’s dedication to supporting international peacekeeping efforts and contributing to stability in conflict-affected regions. The certified officers will soon join their colleagues in Somalia, further strengthening the AU’s peacekeeping mission in the country.