STORY: AMISOM launches training on human rights

protection for Somali security officers

DURATION: 2:50
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 29/APRIL/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) training venue for Somali
National Security Forces
2. Med shot, Somali National Army (SNA) officers at the training
3. Med shot, Kareem Adebayo, Head of the Protection, Human Rights and Gender
Unit of AMISOM, Warsame Mohamed Hassan, Director General in the federal
Ministry of Defence and Musa Donald Gbow, Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative
(RDCSI) Regional Training Manager for Africa at the training
4. Close up shot, SNA officers at the training
5. Med shot, Ulrike Kahbila Mbuton, AMISOM Human Rights Expert speaking at the
meeting
6. Close up shot, an officer listening
7. Med shot, officials from Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative (RDCSI) listening
8. Wide shot, Warsame Mohamed Hassan, Director General in the federal Ministry
of Defence speaking at the opening
9. Med shot, officers listening
10. Wide shot, SNA officers taking notes
11. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Warsame Mohamed Hassan, Director General in the
Ministry of Defence of the Federal Government of Somalia
“The training reflects the Somali government’s commitment to uphold the policy
that children belong to school and deserve a peaceful learning environment and that
children are not to be used as child soldiers. The Somali government is strict on that
policy. It is our collective responsibility to remain true to that commitment.”
12. Wide shot, Kareem Adebayo, Head of the Protection, Human Rights and Gender
Unit of AMISOM speaking at the meeting
13. Med shot, Somali National Army (SNA), Somali Police Force (SPF), National
Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) officers listening
14. Close up shot, officers at the training
15. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kareem Adebayo, Head of the Protection, Human Rights
and Gender Unit of AMISOM
Central to those mandates is the fact that AMISOM should discharge its mandate
with due respect to the international human rights law and the applicable
international humanitarian law (IHL) and key to this, whether it is human rights or
IHL, is that children will not be used as fighters in Somalia, either by AMISOM Troop
Contributing Countries or by Somalia security forces.”

16. Wide shot, officers listening to Kareem Adebayo

17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Kareem Adebayo, Head of the Protection, Human Rights
and Gender Unit of AMISOM
“Central to the Somalia Transition Plan is the belief and the instruction to AMISOM
that between now and 2021 we should have prepared all of you; the Somali National
Army, the regional forces which are part of the Somali National Army, the Somali
Police Force and NISA (The National Intelligence and Security Agency) and all the line
ministries, to do what we are doing today.”

18. Wide shot, the officers breaking off after the opening

AMISOM launches training on human rights protection for Somali security officers

Mogadishu, May 1 2019 - As the implementation of the Somalia Transition Plan

takes centre stage, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has launched a
training programme on human rights for Somali security forces to enhance their
compliance with international human rights law.

The training being attended by officers from the Somali National Army (SNA), Somali
Police Force (SPF), National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) and line
ministries, both from the federal and states governments, will focus on child rights
and the dangers of recruiting children as soldiers in armed conflict.

“The training reflects the Somali government’s commitment to uphold the policy
that children belong to school and deserve a peaceful and conducive learning
environment,” said Warsame Mohamed Hassan, the Director General in the federal
Ministry of Defence.

Mr. Hassan said the federal government has a strict policy on the use of child
soldiers and assured partners of its commitment.
AMISOM has intensified training programmes on human rights to prepare Somali
security forces to assume the country’s security responsibility as per the dictates of
the Somalia Transition Plan and the UN Security Council resolution 2431 of 2018.

The Head of the Protection, Human Rights and Gender Unit of AMISOM, Kareem
Adebayo, who represented the AU Special Representative for Somalia, noted that
the one-week training is being conducted in accordance with the constitutional
provisions of the Federal Republic of Somalia and AMISOM’s mandate from the
African Union and the United Nations.

“Central to those mandates is the fact that AMISOM should discharge its mandate
with due respect to the International Human Rights Law and the applicable
International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and key to this is that children will not be used
as fighters in Somalia, either by AMISOM or by Somalia security forces,” Mr.
Adebayo said.

He noted that AMISOM’s main objective is to prepare Somali security forces to

effectively take over the role of securing the country by 2021.

“Central to the Somalia Transition Plan is that between now and 2021, AMISOM
should have prepared the Somali National Army, regional forces who are part of the
Somali National Army, Somali Police Force, NISA and all the line ministries, to take
over the security of the country,” he observed.

Unlike the past, the current training is being conducted by a pool of Somali trainers,
trained by AMISOM on human rights and international humanitarian law.

Apart from sensitizing the security personnel on human rights and child protection
norms and standards, the training seeks to stimulate discussion on the role of Somali
security forces in promoting and protecting rights of civilians particularly children
and other vulnerable groups.

AMISOM Human Rights Expert, Ulrike Kahbila Mbuton, noted that greater
enjoyment of human rights can be achieved by ensuring Somalia’s security
institutions comply with international human rights law in their role as protectors of
the civilian population.
During the training, participants will be taken through a number of topics including
an overview of human rights, international humanitarian law, global and regional
human rights frameworks, the Somali constitution and human rights and juvenile
justice in Somalia.

Others are Somali culture and Islam, gender and women’s rights, children’s rights,
sexual and gender-based violence and use of child soldiers.

Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative (RDCSI) Regional Training Manager for Africa,
Musa Donald Gbow, pledged the organization’s commitment in supporting the
federal government in its efforts to stamp out the use of child soldiers.

The training, jointly organized by AMISOM and RDCSI, ends on Friday.