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A group of 60 Somali special forces trained exclusively for VIP protection land in Mogadishu

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MOGADISHU—A group of special forces trained for VIP protection are ready to be deployed after a successful completion of their a four-month advanced training program at the Marshal Josip Broz Tito Special Forces Training School in Belgrade, Serbia.

The 60 officers arrived in Mogadishu on Friday.

Somalia’s Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Ahmed Sheikh Ali (Dodishe), expressed gratitude to the Serbian government for their support.

“The need to have security for the heads of state, particularly in a region plagued by instability and extremist groups such as Al-Shabaab, was long overdue,” the minister noted.

The program aims to strengthen the security and protection of Somali political leaders, including the President, as well as visiting foreign dignitaries, amid ongoing efforts to stabilize the country and combat terrorism.

The officers participated in a comprehensive curriculum that included formal classroom education, physical fitness, firearms handling, driving, intelligence gathering, and real-world simulations.

The soldiers trained for nine hours a day, seven days a week, from January 12 to April 12, in “Zero-Fail Mission” scenarios. This marks the first time a European nation has provided training to Somali recruits on its own soil, reflecting the growing international cooperation to support Somalia’s security infrastructure.

The closing ceremony was attended by Serbian Minister of Interior and Security Bratislav Gasić, Somali Ambassador to Serbia Mohamed Abdullahi Ahmedband senior Serbian officers from the special forces academy.

Bratislav Gasić reaffirmed Serbia’s commitment to enhancing the training of Somali forces to improve the quality of protection for Somali leaders. Earlier this week, Minister Dodishe met with Serbian defence experts in Belgrade to discuss further strengthening and training of Somalia’s security personnel, as well as potential future collaborations in the areas of defence and security.

[Additional reports by agencies]

 

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