Somalia has launched an electronic passport and national ID card programme in a bid to return “law and order” to the country.

Somalia has been characterised in the last two decades by the lack of a strong central government, while fighting from militant groups such as al Shabaab, which is looking to institute islamic laws among Somalis, has also destabilised the country.

But the country’s government is looking to electronic passports and national ID cards to help stabilise the country.

And in a press statement on Monday, US based HID Global says it has been contracted to manufacture and provide highly secure chip-enabled electronic passport covers and a custom national ID card with multiple security features for Somalia.

HID Global, in turn, is set to work with Oman’s Al Madina Group, which has designed and implemented the ID documents and their supporting solutions. Meanwhile, a security printer and systems integrator with a presence in Somalia, Ebtikart Smart System, is also set to help enable the programme.

The value of the deal; though, has not been disclosed.

“The national citizen ID documents improve the security situation in the country by enabling law enforcement agencies to verify citizens’ identities, while the e-passport facilitates international travel across borders,” says HID Global in its press statement.

“The new electronic passport is compliant with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, ensuring that Somali citizens are carrying a fraud-resistant identity document that complies with current international standards,” adds the company.

HID Global goes on further to say that “the solutions provided to Somalia have applications in a number of African as well as Middle-Eastern countries, given the need to constantly upgrade their Identity Management Solutions.”