Farewell message from the HoM decision-making level. Recently a young Somali lady Lieutenant Colonel briefed an international audience on security, which greatly impressed me. I am hon-oured to say that our Mission effectively promoted gender mainstreaming in ac-tivities and that the increased participa-tion of women resonates in all aspects related to the execution of the Mission.

I want to express my gratitude to our EU Member States for supporting the Mis-sion, with the auspice they will continue to do so. Likewise, I would like to thank the Somali authorities for their commit-ment and support and engaging in a his-torical and challenging task in restructur-ing their security sector.

Finally, I wish you all to stay safe and continue to deliver. Moreover, let us remind ourselves every day the people of Somalia are the very reason we are here.

N e w s l e tt e r, A u g u st 2 0 1 9

Highlights of the month

Brigadier General, Deputy Po-lice Commissioner Zakia Hus-sein and Head of Mission, Ma-ria-Cristina Stepanescu, inaugu-rated the “Ship In A Box” train-ing facility for the Somali Police Force Maritime Police Unit (SPF-MPU). The facility is made from standard shipping con-tainers assembled to look like a bridge of a merchant vessel. It allows the SPF-MPU and other Somali law enforcement agen-cies to train boarding proce-dures to conduct inspections aboard merchant ships.

INTERPOL National Central Bu-reau (NCB) office in Mogadishu was reopened. EUCAP refur-bished the offices premises, provided computers, printers, air conditioners, electrical in-stallations and furniture to cre-ate a favourable working envi-ronment for NCB officers. EU-CAP’s Police Advisory Unit men-tor the NCB leadership and officers, providing strategic advice.

COMING UP SOON

EUCAP-S, UNODC and EUNAVFOR will organise a Maritime Criminal Justice Chain Exercise (MACRILEX) on 25/9-2/10 in Mogadishu. The exercise will bring together Somali law enforcement and judicial au-thorities to discuss the investiga-tion and prosecution of maritime crime.

EUCAP SOMALIA European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia

This is my farewell message to you all, my colleagues and friends from Somalia and across the globe, who have accompanied me on this amazing journey as Head of Mis-sion (HoM) with EUCAP Somalia.

Having served in this organization for three years, it has been an honour and a privi-lege. I really felt all of you supported me and I wish to thank you for that.

My arrival in this Mission coincided with the shifting of the centre of gravity of our activities in Somalia. I have, in fact been the first HoM of EUCAP to be permanently posted in Mogadishu. During my tenure, operations have expanded in Somalia. Ac-tivities at HQ level in Mogadishu and in Somaliland intensified. We opened the Field Office Garowe in October 2016 on the visit of the then Civilian Operation Com-mander. Work has also progressively been expanded in the port cities of Berbera and Bosasso. The Mission also grew in terms of deployed personnel in Somalia. Our Nairobi support office has also played an important role in enabling the conduct of operations.

This Mission exists thanks to the contribu-tion of all the personnel working for it, and I cannot thank you more for all your efforts and dedication. I feel you have achieved a lot and I am grateful for that. Just to reflect on some examples, thanks to our Mission’s mentoring work, Somalia joined the first international overseas engagement on maritime security officers since 1991. So-mali officers have since participated in the Cutlass Express (sponsored by U.S. Africa Command and conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa) for two years in a row. Soma-lia was also the only country that joined Cutlass Express with women officers.

This is an important point. When I came to Somalia, I was determined to give my con-tribution to make a difference. Compared to 2016 when I arrived, I see an increase in women participating in activities and at the

Maria-Cristina Stepanescu

1. EUCAP’s field office in Hargeisa facilitated a workshop that discussed the draft for Countering Trafficking in Person and Smuggling of Migrants Act. 2. August was a month for many farewells to the Head of Mission Maria-Cristina Stepanescu. An emotional yet happy event took place at the HQ on 22 August.

Being the Chief of Staff means to oversee and coordi-nate almost every activity in an organization. This is what Anssi Murto does at EUCAP Somalia. Putting the pieces of a working-place puzzle together comes natu-rally to him. Previously Anssi headed several police branches in Finland, an institution he joined in 1995. In 2006 Anssi got Police commanding officers’ qualifica-tions from Police College. His capacity as senior police officer included roles as Head of the different Criminal Investigation Sections and License Departments.

Possibly because he is also able to fly airplanes (since he is a military pilot in reserve), as of 1999 Anssi spread his wings, moving to Bosnia for his first interna-tional military Mission. He was 27. Civilian Missions with the EU would follow on from 2008, when Anssi joined EULEX Kosovo as Organised Crime Investigator and subsequently the Chief Internal Investigations. From 2013 to 2016, Anssi worked at EUPOL Afghanistan, one of his roles was the Chief of Staff there too.

In his spare time in Mogadishu, Anssi goes to the gym. He needs that outlet to decompress, not just to face the many challenges of his job, but because, as if not enough is on his plate, he is currently taking on his third degree: Law at Helsinki University.

EUCAP Somalia newsletter, August 2019, page 2

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT SOMALIA? The Somali language belongs to the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family. Somali is mainly influenced by Arabic, Italian and English languages.

Before 1973, when Somalia adopted an official orthography based on Latin alphabets, some people used the Arabic, Osman-ya, Kaddare and Borama alphabets for writing.

The Somali language is one of the two official languages of Soma-lia and the other is Arabic. In Djibouti, Somali is a national lan-guage and in the Somali region of Ethiopia, it is the working lan-guage. Somali is also spoken in the northern part of Kenya. The alphabets, in Latin form, consist of 21 consonants and 5 vowels mainly pronounced like the Arabic alphabets but written in Latin form.

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Anssi Murto

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