In February 2021, the IIJ convened the first phase of its Multi-Agency Intelligence-Led, Evidence-Driven Counter-Terrorism Investigation Capacity-Building programme in Somaliland under the auspices of the IIJ Investigations Initiative.
This ten-day module brought together 41 practitioners from different agencies, including the police, military, coastguard, prisons and immigration service. The programme was delivered using a hybrid training model with the Senior Investigations Adviser leading the workshops in person at the Police Training Academy in Hargeisa, and a series of presentations pre-recorded for delivery during the programme.
The programme supported implementation and operationalisation of the following GCTF framework memoranda:
• Recommendations for Using and Protecting Intelligence Information In Rule of Law-Based, Criminal Justice Sector-Led Investigations and Prosecutions
• Abuja Recommendations on the Collection, Use and Sharing of Evidence for Purposes of Criminal Prosecution of Terrorist Suspects
• Rabat Memorandum on Good Practices for Effective Counterterrorism Practice in the Criminal Justice Sector
The curriculum focused on practical skills development and processes to support international judicial cooperation, parallel collection of evidence and intelligence, application of the law for practitioners, managing risk, crime scene management, systematic investigation and building rapport during interviews.
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants praising the multi-agency approach and pledging to work more closely in the future and to share intelligence more readily amongst all interested organisations.
For more information on this workshop or the IIJ Investigations Initiative, please contact Senior Investigations Adviser Philip Tucker.