Some 1,800 police officers across the country will, within the coming weeks, be expected to participate in a pre-selection exercise for AU Peacekeeping Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

The exercise, which is coordinated by the International Relations Department of the Police Service led by the Director, Assistant Commissioner of Police Baba Saanid Adamu, has already begun in Sunyani.

The first batch of 126 is currently being tested by the Pre-selection team. Those who will qualify will be tested by the AU Selection Assistance and Assessment Team (SAAT).

The Ghana Police Service is among the first to contribute Police Officers to AMISOM in February 2010. So far, 116 officers have participated with 29 being females and 87 males.

Presently, 39 officers made up of 24 males and 15 females are serving in AMISOM in various capacities such as Reform and Restructuring, Training and Police Operations to assist in the reform process of the Somali Federal and State Police Force.

Over the years, the Ghana Police Service has conducted such exercises in Accra, alone, where personnel travelled from across the country to participate in the pre-selection exercise but this has been reviewed and for the first time, the exercise has been decentralised to enable many officers to participate in it.