Beletweyne ATMIS troops trained in civil protection, human rights and civil-military coordination.

Sunday Oct 6, 2024 {HMC} Twenty-five soldiers and police officers from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have undergone training in civil protection, human rights and civil-military coordination.

The five-day training at Sector Four headquarters in Beletweyne, Hirshabelle State, enhanced officers’ skills in protecting civilians, promoting human rights and improving community relations.

The Commander of Sector Four of ATMIS, Colonel Said Waberi, urged participants to use their new knowledge to effectively protect civilians during operations.

“These types of training are important to win the hearts and minds of the local population. I urge you to put into practice what you have learned to ensure the success of the ATMIS mandate,” Colonel Waberi said at the closing ceremony.

ATMIS Senior Protection and Human Rights Officer and Chief Trainer, Ms Gloria Jaase, said training ATMIS forces in critical areas affecting civilians is a core mission mandate.

“One of our most important roles as ATMIS is to train and build the capacity of ATMIS uniformed personnel for the protection of civilians. This training on POC, IHL, IHRL and civil-military coordination is one of the initiatives to operationalize the African Union Compliance and Accountability Framework (AUCF),” she said.

“The training was designed to increase our troops’ understanding of human rights, the protection of civilians and international humanitarian law and civil-military coordination. This knowledge would enable them to carry out their duties more effectively,” said Jackson Robert, ATMIS Sector Four Humanitarian Liaison Officer.

An individual police officer and ATMIS Sector Four Gender Focal person, Constable Vivian Anena, said the new knowledge would help the troops carry out their duties professionally.

“We learned about various activities that are essential for improving the safety of the population and vulnerable groups. The training emphasized ensuring that civil rights are respected and protected. We also looked at the principles of protecting civilians, including zero tolerance of sexual violence and the importance of respecting people’s dignity, integrity and confidentiality,” said Officer Anena.

Participants were drawn from contingents of ATMIS Djibouti and the Ethiopian National Armed Forces, Individual Police Officers (IPOs) and the Ghana Police Unit.

They covered a wide range of topics, including the protection of vulnerable groups such as women and children, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, concepts, principles and guidelines of civil-military coordination, the use of armed escorts for humanitarian convoys and monitoring, analyzing and responding to civilian casualties (CCTARC).