Th
e African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) said Tuesday it has kicked off the process of recruiting police officers to help secure the recently liberated areas in Lower Shabelle region.
Maxwell Chikunguru, coordinator of AMISOM police reforms, restructuring, and development said the AU mission plan to recruit 400 police officers who will be charged with maintaining law and order and protecting civilians in the recently liberated areas, among them, the strategic towns of Sabiid and Bariire.
Chikunguru said a 12-member vetting committee, responsible for mobilizing members of the public to enlist in the police force, underwent one-day training in Mogadishu on Monday, to familiarize themselves with the vetting process.
The allied forces captured the strategic towns of Sabiid and Bariire from al-Shabab during joint military operations conducted by AMISOM and the Somali National Army (SNA) troops in April and May.
Chikunguru said the training of the recruits is expected to commence before the end of July after the completion of the mobilization and vetting exercise.
The vetting committee, with the support of AMISOM Police, will be in charge of the recruitment exercise to be conducted in over 17 locations in Lower Shabelle region, among them, Afgoye, Wadigle, Bariire, Sabiid, Marka and Janaale.
According to the AU mission, the exercise will take into consideration gender and clan representation and also ensure those recruited are individuals with no criminal record.
The committee also assured the public that only persons of good character will be recruited in Mogadishu.
