The Somali Custodial Corps (; ) is the section of the Somali law enforcement in Somalia that is responsible for the maintenance and guarding of prisons and is a military provost due to the Corps investigating crimes within the

Somali Armed Forces The Somali Armed Forces are the military forces of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Headed by the president as commander-in-chief, they are constitutionally mandated to ensure the nation's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. I ...

and bringing individuals before the Military Courts. Although the Custodial Corps is part of the Police, they have these powers as the Police was integrated into the military from 1960 to the turn of the 21st century. The Somali Custodial Corps were separated from the police in 1970. Since then, the government has separated the military from the Police, but the Corps still retains the same powers and responsibilities it had since 1970. Its function is quite similar to that of the Italian Arma dei Carabinieri, but the Custodial Corps fall under the

Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

. The founding commander was Ismail Ahmed Ismail.

History

In 1884 the British formed an armed constabulary to police the

Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...

coast. In 1910 the British created the Somaliland Coastal Police, and in 1912 they established the

Somaliland Camel Corps The Somaliland Camel Corps (SCC) was a British Colonial Auxiliary Forces unit which was raised in British Somaliland. It existed from 1914 until 1944. Beginnings and the Dervish rebellion In 1888, after signing successive treaties with the the ...

to police the interior. In 1926 the colonial authorities formed the Somaliland Police Force. Commanded by British officers, the force included Somalis in its lower ranks. Armed rural constabulary supported this force by bringing offenders to court, guarding prisoners, patrolling townships, and accompanying nomadic tribesmen over grazing areas. In 1960, the

British Somaliland British Somaliland, officially the Somaliland Protectorate (), was a protectorate of the United Kingdom in modern Somaliland. It was bordered by Italian Somalia, French Somali Coast and Ethiopian Empire, Abyssinia (Italian Ethiopia from 1936 ...

Somaliland Scouts The Somaliland Scouts was a Rayid military unit, a regiment, of the British Army. It was established after the liberation of British Somaliland from Italy in December 1941 and the dissolution of the Somaliland Camel Corps in 1942, which was forme ...

joined with the (Police Corps of Somalia) (1910–1960) to form a new ''Somali Custodial Corps'', which consisted of about a few hundred men. The authorities also organized approximately 1,000 of the force as the ''Daraawishta Booliska'', a mobile group used to keep peace between warring clans in the interior. In 1970, the then

military government A military government is any government that is administered by a military, whether or not this government is legal under the laws of the jurisdiction at issue or by an occupying power. It is usually administered by military personnel. Types of m ...

created the Somali Custodial Corps as a separate entity from the existing police structures. As the Police Force acted as a civil police force, the Custodial Corps fulfilled roles that would be more in-line with military police forces. The government considered the Custodial Corps a part of the armed forces until 1991, after which the ''Asluubta'' would be put under the Ministry of Justice instead of the Armed Forces.

Mission and Duties

* Operating Prisons * Transferring suspects * Conducting investigations of military crimes * Policing the Armed Forces * Public Safety 2016 02 18 New Mogadishu Prison-4

Equipment

The Corps's uniform appears more similar to that of the military due to its khaki colour, but the Corps uses green berets, ties and accent on rank insignia (the Army uses red accents), the Corps also utilises dark green fatigues in the south of the country, the Corps's inventory is similar to that of the military due to the embargo preventing the government from obtaining more arms.

References

{{Somalia Military Law enforcement in Somalia