The graduation of 197 police officers from HirShabelle State on Thursday has been hailed as a vital step in visible policing, which is crucial in maintaining law and order and protection of life and property in the region. The officers completed three months of intensive training, conducted by seasoned instructors from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Police. The recruits were enlisted into the police following a comprehensive process that was overseen by a joint committee to ensure equal representation of the various clans living in Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions. The graduation was witnessed by the HirShabelle state president, Mohamed Abdi Ware, Acting AMISOM Police Commissioner, Rex Dundun, the HirShabelle state Police Commissioner, Hassan Dhiisow Hassan, representatives from UN Police, officials from the Federal Government of Somalia and AMISOM. Speaking at the ceremony, Acting Police Commissioner Dundun said that it was important to build the capacity of the Somali Police Force to enable them to carry out effective policing and patrols as part of the Somalia Transition Plan. As part of the Somali exit strategy, the Somalia Transition Plan seeks to transfer security responsibility from AMISOM to well trained and capable Somali National Security Forces ahead of AMISOM’s anticipated exit in 2021. “The officers trained here are very disciplined, dedicated, and you can see from the personnel parade, they are performing exceptionally well. We are looking forward to this group of officers taking over the internal security policing in HirShabelle state,” said Dundun. With the support of AMISOM, European Union, United Nations, the German and UK governments, HirShabelle is on a drive to recruit 800 police officers, with nearly 400 recruited, trained and deployed so far. HirShabelle Police Commissioner Hassan Dhiisow Hassan, said the new police recruits would soon carry out operations to re-open and secure main supply routes in the agricultural-rich region. “These officers will serve the people of HirShabelle by protecting lives and property. They will also clear the main supply routes between Mogadishu, Jowhar and Bula- burde and work jointly with the Somali National Army stationed in those areas,” said Dhiisow. One of the recruits, Abdweli Hassan Jimaale, is a journalist-now-turned-policeman.