Commissioner of the Somali Police Force Abdi Hassan Mohamed Hijar has unveiled a new Somali Coast Guard headquarters, which has been established inside the Mogadishu Port.
The European Union is funding a $3 million project run by the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC) to improve Somalia’s maritime security and fight against illegal fishing.
The facility has marine communications equipment and is staffed by 60 naval officers who have received training in maritime law enforcement, marine engineering, and maritime communications.
In a ceremony in Mogadishu, EU Ambassador to Somalia Tiina Intelmann handed over the facility and floating jetty to the Somali police force.
On the sidelines of the inauguration, UNOPS Country Director for Somalia, Tim Lardner, said, “The SPF maritime law enforcement component will have a much, much more effective ability to operate and interact offshore and within the coastal areas of Somalia, to ensure maritime crime is reduced and effectively work forward on that.”
The new facility’s construction began in 2018.