Formed 1993 Annual budget Unknown | Employees Unknown | |
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Legal personality Governmental: Government agency Operations jurisdiction* Region of Somaliland, Somalialand | ||
The Somaliland Police is a body in charge of law enforcement in the autonomous northwestern Somaliland region of Somalialand.
Contents
Overview
The Somaliland Police falls under the Minister of Interior. It also works closely with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and the military. The force was founded in 1993 out of several militant organizations that had helped overthrow the Siyad Barre regime in 1991; notably the Somali National Movement (SNM). It is divided up by each of Somaliland's administrative regions: Gabiley, Maakhir, Cayn, Salal, Sarar, Odweyne, and Hawd. Each region has a police commandant and commissioned officers. The police are tasked with carrying out criminal investigation, patrolling, and traffic management. There are also a small number of anti-riot personnel. In addition, a British-trained Special Protection Unit (SPU) is tasked with the protection of leaders and foreign dignitaries. In 2005, the armed forces and the police received 46 percent of the Somaliland budget. Most of this money went to salaries and allowances.
The US State Department's 2010 Human Rights Reports in Somalia observed that the Somaliland Police were firmly under civilian control, had not committed any unlawful killings (including demonstrators), were not conducting arbitrarily or politically motivated arrests, and were not committing torture or rape (but were also not taking direction action against people who were). The report noted that the prisons were improving, due to UN supervision. Half of the 765 prisoners in the Mandheera Prison were detained on the orders of regional or district security committees.
The Somaliland Police commissioner is General Cbadilaahi Fadal Iman He replaced Mahamed Saqadhi Dubad. The Deputy Police Commissioner of Somaliland is Abdi Rahman Liban.
Departments
As of 2003, there were eight police stations and 24 police posts in Hargeisa.
Since at least 2010, the UNDP has been working on reforming and training the Somaliland police force. In 2010 they were also making an effort to align/merge the maritime police with the civilian police.
Line units
Due to lack of funds and an arms embargo on Somalia as a whole, the guns used by the Somaliland Police belong to the individual soldiers themselves. Before joining the army, both former combatants and new recruits, are required to report for an agonizing recruitment process with their guns. A similar process is observed in other disciplined forces, including the police.
Establishments
Mandera or Mandeerha Academy