African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops have wrapped up a two-day training program on human rights and civilian protection in peacekeeping operations.
The training program, attended by 35 military and police officers in Dhobley, a town in southern Somalia, was intended to deepen the officers’ knowledge of international human rights law and international humanitarian law to help them protect and promote human rights through their work, ATMIS said.
“This training is very important because it reinforces the African Union accountability and compliance framework, which requires troops to adhere to international human rights and humanitarian law frameworks in their operations,” ATMIS Protection Officer Gloria Jasse was quoted as saying in a statement issued in Dhobley.
“As we interact with communities, we have to be careful not to violate their rights, because we are here to protect them. That is our mandate,” Jasse said.
Under UN Security Council Resolution 2628, all ATMIS uniformed components, as well as Somali security forces operating jointly with ATMIS, are required to carry out their operations in full compliance with obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
ATMIS Sector Two Deputy Commander Anda Safe urged the officers to apply the knowledge acquired in their daily duties to help the AU mission fulfill its mandate ahead of its exit from Somalia in December 2024.
“The seminar was rich in content, interactive, pragmatic, and it blended with the realities in the theater of operations in Somalia, particularly in Sector Two Area of Responsibility,” Safe said.
Philip Conteh, the chief civilian casualty tracking, analysis, and response cell officer, stressed the significance of recording civilian casualties in areas of operation, and encouraged participants to apply the skills learned.
“We must track, correctly categorize, and create a database of all casualty actors, including al-Shabab, unknown armed groups, and all factions fighting in Somalia,” Conteh told the participants.
