Handing over ceremony of transport vehicles and equipment from the Government of Japan to Somali Police Force

Handing over ceremony of transport vehicles and equipment from the Government of Japan to Somali Police Force was held on Monday 7th May 2012 in  Mogadishu, Somalia.

Ambassador Toshihisa TAKATA as well as  

• Prof. Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Prime Minister,
• Mr. Hussein Arab Issa, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense,
• Mr. Abdisamad Moalim Mohamud Sheikh Hassan, Minister of Interior and National Security and
• Ambassador Augustine Mahiga, UN Special Representative of Secretary-General for Somalia, attended the ceremony.  

Since 2008, the Government of Japan has been supporting the Somali Police Force through UN Agencies to the tune of approximately 30 million US dollars. Assistance to the Somali Police Force includes stipend payment, training, operational cost, provision of transport vehicles, protection gears (helmets, flack jacket etc) and communication equipment. Fresh assistance in  stipend payment, rehabilitation of  police stations, provision of armored vehicles are expected to be delivered soon through UN Agencies.

It was Ambassador TAKATA’S first visit to Somalia since he arrived in Nairobi in September 2010 as Ambassador in charge of Somalia affairs.