By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Mogadishu, 23 August 2026 — Nearly 80 Somali police and National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) officers have completed a U.S.-backed training programme to strengthen criminal investigations, officials said on Saturday.
The year-long programme brought together investigators from the Somali Police Force and NISA in a joint training environment, with participants receiving instruction in modern criminal investigation techniques, crime-scene examination, evidence collection and preservation, and methods for verifying information used in investigations.
Justin Davis, the U.S. embassy's chargé d'affaires in Somalia, said the programme was designed to bring the two security institutions together to develop common investigative skills and improve cooperation.
"Two years ago, the United States and Somalia set out to do something that had never been done before: bring NISA and the Somali Police Force together, side by side, into a single training environment," Davis said at a graduation ceremony in Mogadishu.
The programme has produced nearly 80 graduates across seven cohorts, he said.
Somali officials said the training would help strengthen professional investigative practices and improve cooperation between security and judicial institutions.
Related articles
Asad Osman Abdullahi, commander of the Somali Police Force, said the programme had helped improve investigators' knowledge and skills, particularly in investigative procedures and inter-agency cooperation.
He thanked the United States for its support, saying such assistance was important to strengthening Somalia's security institutions and developing skilled personnel.
Hassan Ali Noor Shute, chairman of the first-instance military court, said the training had helped move investigations towards more systematic methods based on verifiable evidence that can be presented in court.
Mahad Mohamed Salah, director general of NISA, urged the graduates to use their newly acquired skills in combating militant groups and organised crime.
Salah said the programme followed a request made by Somali officials to the United States in 2023 to support the country's need for stronger investigative capabilities.
The training comes as Somalia continues efforts to strengthen its security institutions and improve coordination between investigators, security agencies and the judiciary in the fight against militant groups and organised crime.