AU, Somali Police step up joint patrols in Mogadishu to tame insecurity during Ramadan

MOGADISHU, Somalia - In partnership with the Somali Police Force Army [SPF], the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] police have intensified patrols in the country, as a strategy to secure the busy city during the holy month of Ramadan which terrorists often take advantage of by waging attacks.

According to the police, a joint operation between the local police and the AU police force has been targeting checkpoints and access routes that Al-Shabaab often uses as soft targets. The army is also involved but at a much more critical and complex level in securing the city.

"The importance of this joint patrol is for the residents to know that ATMIS is working alongside them round the clock to improve security," Barrie Yusuf, ATMIS Joint Operations Command Center [JOCC] Team Leader, said in a statement released recently, noting that the surveillance will go on for a while.

He insisted that teamwork will help the police force secure Mogadishu which terrorists target often during festivities. Ramadan is a holy month in the Muslim calendar and almost 99 percent of Somalis are Muslims with very few parentages subscribing to other religions.

For a long time, ATMIS has been pushing to secure the country from attacks, especially by Al-Shabaab militants who are losing significant territories in central and southern Somalia. With Mogadishu secured, most ATMIS troops will be joining Somali National Army in the next phase of the Al-Shabaab crackdown across the country.

According to Ali Mohamed Ousman who is the SPF head of operations at Wadajir Police Station, ATMIS and SPF officers must remain vigilant to thwart or prevent any planned attacks by terrorists. Mogadishu is usually a soft target for the militants due to its strategic location and because it is the commercial and administrative capital.

"The importance of this patrol is to reduce the attacks from terrorist groups," said the officer who has served in the SPF for four years. "The patrols have so far accomplished many things, including increased public safety and security stability," Mohamed added.

ATMIS has reiterated that patrols supported by its force and the Formed Police Unit have largely secured the country from terrorists. The second phase of a crackdown against Al-Shabaab militants is expected to completely weed out the militants who used to control several parts including the capital.

GAROWE ONLINE