Thursday September 28, 2023
Somali State Minister of Internal Security Mohammed Ali Haga discussed with the Chair of the EU’s PSC, Ambassador Delphine Pronk and EU Ambassador to Somalia, Karin Johansson, on EU’s support to the Somali Police Force at the Somali Police Headquarters.
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Chair of the European Union's (EU) Political and Security Committee (PSC), Ambassador Delphine Pronk, visited the headquarters of the Somali Police Force in Mogadishu on September 22nd.
During her visit, Ambassador Pronk discussed with State Minister of Internal Security Mohamed Ali Haga and Deputy Police Commissioner Gen. Osman Abdullahi regarding the EU's support for the SPF. The committee's visit to the country was to strengthen the vital cooperation in security and stability.
The State Minister emphasized, 'One of our key priorities within the Ministry of Internal Security and the Somali Police Force is force generation in liberated areas.'
"EUCAP Somalia plays a significant role in advancing the development of the Somali Police in alignment with the Somalia Transition Plan and the security sector priorities of Somalia," the statement said.
The Chair of the European Union's (EU) Political and Security Committee (PSC) also had high-level discussions with Deputy Prime Minister Salah Ahmed Jama, key stakeholders from the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), and other international partners.
The focus of these discussions was to deepen the partnership between the EU and Somalia in the framework of the Joint Operational Roadmap and to explore further avenues for the EU's support to the development of the Somali security sector.
Ambassador Pronk acknowledged that "the partnership between the EU and Somalia is presently at a high point, since President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud's inauguration last year and the launch of the EU – Somalia Joint Operational Roadmap in May. We need to capitalize on the current momentum of our partnership by advancing the future security cooperation between EU and Somalia, including looking at the role of our missions EUCAP and EUTM Somalia."
The EU and Somalia have a long-standing and joint-up partnership as exemplified by the EU- Somalia Joint Operational Roadmap launch in May 2023, which sets the path for a renewed focused engagement for the next two years.
Since 2014, the EU has invested EUR 3.5 billion in state-building initiatives and implemented budget support programmes. There are two EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions in Somalia, namely EUCAP and EUTM Somalia, which support the Somali Security Forces. The EU recently increased its support to the Somali National Army (SNA) from EUR 40 million to EUR 65 million, with a potential willingness to provide further support, contingent on progress in key areas.
The Political and Security Committee is a body of the European Union responsible for coordinating the EU's response to international crises and conflicts. It comprises representatives from the EU's member states, the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS).