Somalia has unveiled plans to enhance the skills and motivation of its police force following a meeting between General Asad Osman Abdullahi, Commander of the Somali Police Force, and experts from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The meeting, held in Mogadishu, focused on the FBI’s role in training Somali police officers and equipping them with modern policing techniques. The goal is to support ongoing police reforms, with General Abdullahi praising the FBI’s commitment to modernizing police operations.
The visiting FBI delegation expressed their admiration for the rapid modernization of the Somali Police Force and emphasized the importance of their partnership in combating terrorism. The FBI has been a key ally to Somali authorities in the fight against terror groups like al-Shabaab.
In October 2024, General Abdullahi also met with Colonel David Haskell, Commander of U.S. Special Operations in Somalia, to discuss further training initiatives for Somali police and strategies to tackle the al-Shabaab insurgency, as well as other critical security issues. Colonel Haskell reaffirmed U.S. support for enhancing security and stability in Somalia.
General Abdullahi, who took over as the Chief of the Somali Police Force on September 26, 2024, has already implemented new security measures, particularly in Mogadishu. He also made significant personnel changes to improve the efficiency of security operations in Somalia, which has faced long-standing security challenges due to the presence of al-Shabaab militants.
Before his current role, General Abdullahi was Director General of the Puntland Security Forces (PSF) and ran for the presidency of Puntland State in 2019, finishing as the runner-up.
