ACBC Trains Somali Police Officers in Human Trafficking Investigation.

In its ongoing efforts according to the IOM mandate and to the Country Office, IOM, under the project Prevention of Trafficking, Gender Based Violence and Protection and Care for Victims in Somalia, conducted three day training, in Moshi. The workshop for the Somali Anti Trafficking Police Unit took place from 8^th to 11^th, December, 2014.10 police officers including their Director of Investigation and two female officers from the Unit, took part in the training. The workshop aimed at enhancing the Somali Anti Trafficking Police Unit on; understanding transnational Organized crime and Human Trafficking, the investigation process and approaches, assistance and protection of victims and the link between gender and human trafficking.

Speaking to the ACBC media focal point –Pamela Kyando, the female CT officers, Lul Saleban Ali and Sainab Abdullahi Hassan, stated, “We are happy with the training, although it is difficult to work in the Anti- Trafficking Unit, because it involves organized crime, also our location, but through this training session we have learnt a lot, especially how to detect traffickers and how to support and assist the victims of trafficking.”

While the training included theories and concepts on Counter Trafficking, its aim was to support the functions and services of the police, as practically as possible, in accordance to the developments made to date in Counter Trafficking projects, in Somalia.

When asked about the effectiveness of the training, the Director of Department of Immigration, Abdirashid Ali Ahmed, said, “We will be sending more Somalis in the Counter Trafficking Unit to ACBC, we cannot be the only ones with these skills, we need this knowledge to be disseminated to all the police officers in Somalia.”