Somalia army officers trained on International Humanitarian law and Human Rights

24 Aug 2014

Somalia army officers trained on International Humanitarian law and Human Rights

Kampala, 28 August 2014 - The African Union Mission In Somalia (AMISOM) in conjunction with the United Nations Assistance Mission In Somalia (UNSOM) under the framework of the Joint Task Force on the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) recently concluded a ten-day (19-28 August, 2014) Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Human Rights for Officers of the Somalia National Army in Kampala, Uganda.

The 23 officers including five women benefited from the 10 day training course which incorporated a five-day refresher sessions on IHL and Human Rights and a five-day period of practical trainer sessions during which the participants were taken through course preparation and delivery of the various aspects of the provisions of the IHL and Human Rights in general and the specific aspects as they relate to the conflict in Somalia. Those trained were selected from a group of trainees who previously received similar training conducted in Djibouti in October 2012 and in Kampala, Uganda in August 2013.

Such trainings are at the heart of AMISOM’s strategic goals of building the capacity of the SNA and preparing them to take the lead in the defence of their country when AMISOM pulls out at the appropriate time. It is aimed at enhancing the respect for IHL and human rights in Somalia. In particular, it also provides a pool of trainers who can themselves deliver similar trainings and disseminate IHL and human rights to all cadres in the SNA at both basic and specialist levels of training.

Following this trainer of trainers, AMISOM will work closely with the United Nations Support Office for AMISOM (UNSOA) to provide the necessary logistical support to the Somalia Ministry of Defense including the renovation of training facilities and the provision of training equipment in order for these trainees to function effectively.

The workshop was supported by the African Center for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) through its Norwegian funded – Training for Peace (TfP) project under the auspices of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between AMISOM and ACCORD.