Somaliland police have confirmed the arrest of a police officer whose video went viral on social media on Thursday, showing him shaking hands with a young woman.
A police statement said the officer had committed an act that was against police ethics and would be brought to court to face charges.
“The Somaliland Police Command has arrested the accused Bol-Askari Hadi Omar Baadi, who was widely reported on social media to be slapping a young woman, which is against the ethics and culture of the Somaliland Police Force. The accused will be brought to court immediately,” the police statement said.
This is not the first time a soldier has been brought to court for abusing a civilian. In recent years, soldiers have been sentenced to prison for crimes against human rights, and there have also been some who were caught on camera committing crimes but were not brought to justice. Many believe that the police force needs to be overhauled.
“It does not help the suffering of the police. The police should be reformed and corrected,” said lawyer Guleed Dafac, who campaigns for improved police ethics, and commented on the police action against the officer.
The current Somaliland government, itself a victim of police abuse during its opposition, is planning to reform the police justice system and prison life.
