The British government has praised the work of the anti-terrorism unit, and said it is focused on supporting the Somaliland Police Force in strengthening the anti-terrorism unit (CTU).
Vicky Ford, the British Minister for Africa, who was questioned MP Kenny MacAskill in a session of the British Parliament on Thursday, Dec 9th, 2021, stated UK government had stopped supporting the Somaliland Police Rapid Response Unit (RRU).
MP Kenny MacAskill in the House of Commons on Thursday, Dec 9, 2021; To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, when the Government last allocated funding to support Somaliland’s police rapid response unit.
Vicky Ford Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) responding, said, UK funding for Somaliland’s Police Rapid Reaction Unit ended in March 2020.
Our efforts to improve Somaliland’s security sector now focus on support for the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of the Somaliland Police (through the Counter Terrorism Programme Fund). With UK support, the CTU has successfully established and staffed a state-of-the-art investigation and detentions facility. The CTU has also achieved significant operational successes, including the prosecution of a large number of high-interest terrorism cases.
Tackling Al Shabaab is one of the UK’s top international counter-terrorism priorities, as we seek to keep the UK and our interests at home and overseas safe from the threat of terrorism.
