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The Sierra Leone Police has successfully concluded training and preparation of the sixth contingent of Formed Police Unit, known as SLFPU-6, for deployment on a peacekeeping mission in Somalia.
Having gone through three months of vigorous weapon and tactics training as prescribed by international standards, SLFPU-6 has concluded their predeployment training under the supervision of AU/UNSOS representatives at the Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA), Hastings Campus.
In his keynote address during the closing ceremony, Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sahr Yomba Senesi congratulated the galant officers for showcasing resilience and determination as they pursue the goal of supporting Somalia’s peace process. He intimated them on the new mission they are going to be deployed in as ATMIS had given way to AUSSOM. He expressed the IGP’s appreciation for their diligence in responding to all the recent public order situations in Sierra Leone and noted that it was a test towards their readiness in mind, body, soul, and spirit for tasks ahead of them.
“Somalia has a long history of war. We started together in the early 90s but we dealt with ours long ago. Somalia is still struggling. You need to go and make your contribution towards their peace process because others came here and helped us when we were in need,” DIG Senesi recalled. He closed by encouraging them to make good use of the knowledge they had gained over the five days, emphasizing that many yearned for such opportunity.
The Head of Peacekeeping, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) John Fayia Tumbay dilated on the processes through which the contingent had gone, explaining that the number started with over eight hundred applicants. “That was a show of readiness and willingness to support the peace process in Somalia,” said ACP Tumbay. He continued that the pre-deployment training is the last process towards final selection and deployment of one hundred and sixty personnel. “The remaining will serve as truncated or reserve personnel should there be need for a replacement,” ACP Tumbay noted.
The UNSOS Pre-Deployment Training Support Trainer and team lead of the AU/UNSOS representatives, Thomas Kwesi Aggrey-Fynn spoke on the mission mandate of AUSSOM and the support UNSOS is providing. When speaking on the purpose of their presence during training, Aggrey-Fynn stated that AU/UNSOS needs to confirm that officers are well prepared and have got the requisite training fit for deployment in the mission theatre. “From what we have seen so far, I can affirm that SLFPU-6 has been well equipped for the task ahead of them. They know exactly what is expected and have displayed readiness to comply with all guiding principles,” he affirmed.
Being the lead trainer during the pre-deployment training, CSP Adama Fefegula outlined the sixteen modules dealt with throughout the five days and gave a rundown on class participation and experience of trainers in conducting such trainings.
