SOMALIA Somaliland Police Force in 1927, under British administra­ SOMALIA tion. In Italian Somalia, an Armed Constabulary existed from 1890; the Polizia della Somalia Italiana was formed in Jamhuriyadda Dimuqradiga 1911 and in 1924 it was supplemented by a Carabinieri unit. When Somalia came under British occupation in 1941, a Soomaliya Gendarmerie was formed with British officers and Somali other ranks; this force became the Somalia Police in 1948. Two years later, the administration of Somalia was again Area: 637,657 sq. km handed over to Italy, and a Corpo di Polizia della Somalia Population: 3,862,000 was organized with Carabinieri and Somali personnel. This Capital: Mogadiscio became the Forze di Polizia della Somalia in 1958. After July Head of State: Maj.-Gen Mohammed Siyad Barre 1960, the Comando Forze di Polizia was transferred to (President) Somali hands. Minister of Defence: Lieut.-Gen. Mohammed Ali Samater The Somali Police Corps has five main departments: General Duties, Criminal Investigation, Traffic, the Police Somalia comprises 16 provinces (capitals in brackets): Mobile Force (a riot control outfit) and the Police Air Wing. There are 16 provincial commands, and training schools at Bakool (Huddur Hadama) Jubbada Hoose (Kisimayu) Mogadiscio and Mandera. Personnel strength is about 8000. Banaadir (Mogadiscio) Mudug (Galkayo) There is also a Treasury Guard (Corpo Guardia di Bari (Bosaso) Nugaal (Garowe) Finanze), based on the Italian force of the same name and Bay (Isha Baydabo) Sanaag (Erigabo) with similar duties, and a Soviet-trained political police, the Gal Gaduud (Dusa Mareb) Shabeellaha Dhexe (Jowhar) National Security Service. Gedo (Garbaharrey) Shabeellaha Hoose (Merca) Somalia has two paramilitary forces, the Pioneers of Hiiraan (Beled Weyne) Tog-Dheer (Buro) Victory (Gulwadayaasha), a volunteer Home Guard with Jubbada Dhexe (Dujuma) Waqooyi Galbeed (Hargeisa) about 20,000 men, and a 1500-man Border Guard. The Somaliland Coast Police was formed in 1910, and the Police Headquarters, PO Box 960, Mogadiscio 179 J. Andrade, World Police & Paramilitary Forces © Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 1985.