From 29 July to 5 August, the UNOAU supported the African Union Commission (AUC) Formed Police Assessment Team (FPAT) in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to assess state of readiness of the Sierra Leonean Formed Police Unit (FPU) 5, prior to its deployment to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

The Assessment team consisted of representatives from the AUC Peace Support and Operations Division (AU PSOD), ATMIS and UNOAU. The Assessment team conducted a verification of basic eligibility criteria and unit composition, including medical capacities, command elements, hostile environment driving, as well as individual and unit capabilities.  The assessment team also conducted a final scenario-based exercise to determine the level of coordination and cohesion of the FPU. A total of 218 police officers (65 women and 153 men), took part in the assessment. As a result of the exercise, 94% of police officers successfully passed the training and were cleared to take up FPU duties in ATMIS. Consequently, the FPAT certified the Sierra Leonean FPU-5 to be ready for deployment to ATMIS.