By Ahmed Abdi
Jigjiga—Thousands of Somali Special forces on Sunday passed out a 4-month of basic military and guerrilla tactics training at General Khadar , according to Regional State media, Somali Region TV.
The special paramilitary forces of the Somali Regional Force (Liyu Police) are trained in military barracks of Birqod, Degehabur, province of Jarar.
The 3,217 newly-graduated paramilitary Forces, among them well-trained commando unit will join the local security forces, locally known as Special (Liyuu) Police, and officially renamed as “Special Forces” to take charge of the Somali Regional State’s security — training and increasing their number will continue, according to Somali State officials.
The training course participants displayed their skills of hand-to-hand combat to hit-and-run raids during a ceremony organized by the Somali State President Mustafa Muhumed Omer (Mustafa Agjar), Security Chief Dr. Hussein Hashi Kassim, his deputies, the Special forces Chief, General Haji.Mohamed Tuur, Cornels of the Special Forces, and other officials of the Somali Regional State, including Governor of Jarar Ahmed Mohamed (Ahmed Bidi’).
President and Chief Commander of Special Forces Mustafa Omer instructed the fresh graduates to be a force that can be counted on by defending the public interest and urged them to preserve the democratic-rule of law and respect for human rights.
“We are ready to sacrifice ourselves for the Somali cause, while protecting the shared security interest of the whole country,” President Omer said.
He urged opposition parties and opposition activists to think outside of the box and think this institution as their own.
Security Chief Kassim described the Liyuu Police as “main pillars of the Somali Region’s peace and stability and thanked Somali parents for sending their children to the recruitment.”
He did not only commend the great support that the Special Forces received from the Somali community, but also lauded their patriotic engagement, in terms of defending their Somali community from extremists and other aggressive forces.
The Special Police institution was founded May 2005 for the aim of preparing an extra force to combat the ONLF and to suppress their oppressed community; however, after leadership change in Addis and Jigjiga human rights violations in Somali State of Ogaden has gradually improved.
