Somaliland is building a coast guard with EU support. During November and December, there are three instructors at hand from the Coast Guard in Somaliland ready to conduct training activities.
Swedish Naval Officer said, “We are here to share our broad knowledge of Swedish coastguard. The training covers everything from navigation and seamanship to service and maintenance of the three rib boats that Sweden donated to Somaliland’s Coast Guard last year, says Johan Norrman, Operations Manager at the Coast Guard.
The training is held in the port city of Berbera. There is also Somaliland’s largest coastguard station with about 200 employees. The city’s port area is expected to expand substantially in the coming years, which also means an increased need for a number of different coast guard functions.
“This is especially true of the extensive fishing activities in the region, which need to be monitored and followed up,” says Johan Norrman.
The first week of training has included start-up meetings, presentations, and practical lessons. The training participants consist of 14 recruits and eleven employees from the coast guard station in Berbera.
Swedish support is provided within the framework of EUCAP Somalia – Part of the EU capacity building program in Somaliland. The purpose is to support Somalia’s ability to establish and exercise civilian maritime surveillance and law enforcement.
The work is carried out in close collaboration with other EU missions and other international organizations.
