Nearly 80 officers from the Somali Police Force and the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) have completed a year-long training programme aimed at strengthening criminal investigations, officials said on Saturday.
The graduation took place in Mogadishu on 23 August 2026, marking the culmination of a U.S.-backed initiative to bring investigators from the two security institutions together in a joint training environment. Participants received 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 develop common investigative skills and improve cooperation. Speaking at the ceremony, he highlighted the novelty of the joint approach.
"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. He added that the programme produced nearly 80 graduates across seven cohorts.
Somali officials welcomed the training as a step toward strengthening professional investigative practices and improving cooperation between security and judicial institutions. Asad Osman Abdullahi, commander of the Somali Police Force, said the programme had improved investigators' knowledge and skills, especially 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 shift investigations toward 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. According to reports from both outlets, Salah and other Somali officials first approached the United States for help in 2023.
The programme follows a broader trend of international support for Somalia's security institutions, both outlets noted. In September 2025, Somalia partnered with Türkiye on a forensic investigation training program. In May 2026, Japan funded training for police instructors in Mogadishu, and in February 2026, the European Union supported an advanced curriculum for specialised police units. These earlier efforts, reported by The Eastleigh Voice, suggest a sustained international effort to bolster Somalia's investigative capacity.