NEWS

UOS has been awarded Contract for provision of Explosive Threat Mitigation in Somalia

In July 2021 UOS was contracted by UNMAS to provide explosive hazard mitigation services as part of the wider explosive threat mitigation strategy in support of the UNSOM/UNSOS mission, AMISOM operations and the national stabilisation partners in Somalia, through locally employed and trained capacity, composing of 08 x Manual Mine Clearance (MMC) teams, 02 x Quick Response teams (QRT), 10 x Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) teams, along with 08 x Community Liaison Officers (CLOs) and 02 x Local Security Assistants (LSA), to deploy within the areas of operations dominated by AMISOM and/or Somali National Security Forces, promoting safety awareness among the affected communities and addressing the problem of explosives, through clearance of explosive hazards that could potentially be used against the security forces, the Mission, as well as against the host government and other partners.

The main activities of the project:

– Non-Technical and Technical survey (NTS/TS);

– Area Clearance (Minefields / Battle area);

– EOD Spot Clearance;

– EO Risk Education;

– Liaison and Information Gathering;

– Training;

– Capacity Building.

For successful project implementation, Ukroboronservice SC has employed 163 people of different age, gender and clan. 97.5% of the total personnel were local Somalis, where 9.2% of the entire capacities were females and 30% [49 people] were below 30 years of age.

The following national capacity successfully received respective training and gained operational accreditation in August – September 2021:

– 8 Community Liaison Officers;

– 10 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education Team Leaders;

– 10 Explosive Ordnance Risk Education Facilitators;

– 12 specialists for 2 Quick Response teams, including 2 Team leaders, 8 searchers and 2 medics;

– 68 specialists for 8 Manual Mine Clearance teams, including 4 site supervisors, 8 section leaders, 48 deminers and 8 medics.

The intensity and quality of the educational process, carried out at the highest professional level, made it possible to prepare qualified operators capable of performing all spectrum of assigned mine actions tasks.

After graduation and accreditation, personnel were equipped and deployed to their respective areas of operations, mainly in the newly liberated areas of the four federal member states of Somalia, including Jubaland, South West, Hirshabel and Galmudug.