In what is expected to be a significant boost to security at Mogadishu’s Aden Adde International Airport, two pioneering Somali dog handlers along with explosives detection dogs, have been deployed at the airport’s main luggage bay.
The two are the first in the country’s history to successfully complete the Explosives Detection Dog Handling course which qualifies the handlers to search vehicles, cargo, and buildings for hidden explosives. The course, which was sponsored by the United Nations Mine Action Service, was held in Mogadishu and conducted by staff from Bancroft Global Development, an American NGO as part of its mentoring programme.
The course included lessons on animal behavior and welfare, theory of scent, practical exercises on dog obedience and handling, and identification of commercial and military explosives. Head trainer Louis Visagie said Somali cultural and religious sensitivities have been taken into account without compromising the security of the airport. “We enrolled 13 trainees on the course but so far two have successfully finished the course…..As you all know, even in most predominantly Muslim countries, sniffer dog play crucial
role in the airport security,” he said.
According to MuslimsInBritain.org, a site dedicated to providing resources for Muslims and non-Muslims in Britain to live and work effectively together, the formal religious position, agreed by all Muslim sects, is that working dogs are permitted to be used by Muslims, though they may not be kept inside offices, houses or mosques. The use of explosives detection dogs at airports in the Muslim world is widespread including in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, Bahrain, Pakistan and Indonesia.
In a demonstration carried out in front the media on May 11, the dogs proved that they could detect explosives hidden inside vehicles and bags. The management of the airport was recently taken over by SKA Air & Logistics, a Dubai based company that signed a 10-year contract with Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government. Improved security measures, which also include
a baggage scanner and walk-through metal detector, have helped increase the number of travelers and businessmen coming to Mogadishu and contributed to a 400% increase in government revenue from the airport.