Maritime Security 06-09-2014 EUCAP Nestor provides vital training to Somali officers EUCAP Nestor’s office of maritime and legal experts conducted mission activities in Somaliland’s capital, Hargeisa and the city of Berbera from 25 to 30 August as part of the Mentoring Teaching and Training programme (MTT) framework that was coordinated in Somaliland by EUCAP Nestor’s Senior Maritime Adviser Marco Hekkens. This was part of a three-day MTT activity for Somaliland’s Coast Guard (CG) officers was organized between 26 to 28 August. The Somaliland Minister of Interior, Ali Mohammed Waran, kick started the programme by welcoming EUCAP Nestor whom he described as a “credible actor” in the maritime security of the region – while defining the mentoring of young officers as “an investment in the future” of his country, adding that, “EUCAP Nestor has shown determination and persistency in working with the Somaliland CG”. The MTT was mostly attended by 20 junior officers and provided a platform of knowledge relating to the field of maritime studies which aimed at increasing the officers’ knowledge in better understanding the general functions of coast guarding such as border control, search and rescue, countering illegal fishing, and surveillance. “I believe I got a better understanding of our tasks as a junior officer of the Somaliland CG,” stated one student, Mohammed Youssuf, who added that, “we feel revitalized and ready to assume our responsibilities”, at the end of the three-day activity. The young Somaliland trainees demonstrated an eagerness to continue the training programme with EUCAP Nestor – which is in line with their motto of, “Do the job you can do today, do not postpone till tomorrow!” The visit was also an opportunity for a member of EUCAP Nestor’s legal advisors to discuss with local counterparts as to how the mission can contribute to the enhancement of prosecutors’ capabilities within the field maritime crime, and consulting over a training programme for judges, prosecutors and investigators within the local police force. Future proposals for training events in Somaliland were also discussed – which included the Somaliland Piracy Law of 2012, handling of evidence in piracy cases and legal aspects and the safety of prosecutors. EUCAP Nestor is a civilian EU mission that operates under the auspices of the Common Security and Defense Policy, which assists countries in the Horn of Africa and the Western Indian Ocean in strengthening their capacity to ensure maritime security with particular emphasis on the fight against piracy.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 07:04:06 +0000
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