First training cycle for Somali soldiers completed in Uganda

(BRUSSELS2) The Europeans have just completed the training of a first cycle of 192 Somali non-commissioned officers. A training that lasted four months at the Bihanga camp in Uganda, with the key, initiation to military topography, the handling of weapons, signals, tactics, techniques and procedures necessary to be a platoon leader. The training also included courses in leadership, human rights and the law of war, as well as an overview of the structures of the Somali Transitional Federal Government and its armed forces.

But, for the 192 "trainees", the training is not over. After a weekend of rest, this Monday, September 6, starts a new training cycle. 21 Somalis will follow the "junior officers" module, while the 171 other recruits will go on specialized training: 91 on the "infantry" module, 20 on signals, 20 on first aid and 40 on the fight against improvised explosive devices.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)