According to the agreement, the training which the company is providing includes anti-terrorist training program to train the State’s police and security forces in providing anti-terrorist protection services. The number of the force has not been disclosed.
Also other types of training in the agreement include training armed body guard, chauffeur and guard training program, as well as VIP protection, special event security, aviation and maritime security and mailroom security services training program.
Very cool and congrats to Lafras Luitingh and gang for winning this contract. It will be very interesting to see how this land based contract works out. Could we potentially see a Somali Police force similar to that of Koevoet? I hope so, because pirates and jihadists will be quite the challenge for this police force if they plan on surviving or being effective. Also, a Koevoet style police force would be pretty cost effective if done properly.
Hell, if this police force was allowed to seize assets from these fat cat pirates, the government could add an element of incentivized warfare to the game. They could also infuse money into the government by splitting up this prize, and help to fund further security measures. –Matt
Edit: 01/20/2011 Now it is reported that Erik Prince was one of the original investors and consultants of this contract. No confirmation yet from Prince. (I posted the article in the comments section)
“According to a Jan. 12 confidential report by the African Union, Mr. Prince “is at the top of the management chain of Saracen and provided seed money for the Saracen contract.” A Western official working in Somalia says he believes that it was Mr. Prince who first raised the idea of the Saracen contract with members of the Emirates’ ruling families, with whom he has a close relationship.”
Somalia signs training deal with private security firm
12/24/2010
MOGADISHU — Somalia’s fragile government said Friday that it had signed a deal with a private security company, Saracen International, a firm that has been criticised by the US government.
“The agreement the government engaged with Saracen International covers training security guards … and some humanitarian tasks including renovating places like hospitals and other buildings,” said information minister Abdikarin Hasan Jama.
Hasan Jama said the arrangement had no connection with company’s activities in the neighbouring breakaway region of Puntland.
The funding for the deal would come from other Muslim countries, Jama said without specifying.
Puntland contracted Saracen International to assist in its crackdown on pirates, many of whom operate from the territory’s lawless coastal regions and target shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
The US State Department earlier this month criticised the arrangement, saying it lacked transparency and could potentially violate a 1992 UN Security Council arms embargo on Somalia.
Story here.
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Saracen International To Train Somali Anti-Terrorist Forces, Government Announces
23 December 2010
The Somalia government disclosed it has signed an agreement with a private security company based in Beirut, Lebanon to train police and security forces.
In an exclusive interview with VOA Somali Service, Finance Minister Hussein Abdi Halane said the agreement was signed in late October between President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Lafras Luitingh Chief Operations Officer for Saracen International. Luitingh is a former.