The African Union Mission in Somalia and Somali National Army wrapped up a joint training on how to improve civil-military activities to help enhance relations with communities in liberated areas.
MOGADISHU, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and Somali National Army (SNA) have wrapped up a joint training on how to improve civil-military activities to help enhance relations with communities in liberated areas.
Tigabu Yilma (L, front), African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Force Commander pins a medal on a Kenyan AMISOM military officer during a medal award ceremony in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia Sept. 29, 2019. (Xinhua/AMISOM)
The AU mission said in a statement on Saturday the three-day joint training which took place in Jowhar and was attended by selected soldiers from both SNA and AMISOM focused on guidelines that govern relations between humanitarian actors, civilians, and security forces.
"The guidelines specify how the military and humanitarian actors should relate in conflict areas to enable the delivery of humanitarian assistance to communities in need," said the AU mission.
The UN-backed training was attended by newly deployed civil-military cooperation officers from the AMISOM Burundian contingent and the SNA soldiers that are in joint operations with AMISOM.
"The training objective was to improve the knowledge and raise awareness among the forces on the principles and guidelines of civil-military coordination," said AMISOM humanitarian liaison officer, Jackson Basoronga.
According to the AU mission, participants were taken through Somalia country-specific humanitarian and civil-military coordination guidelines.
Other topics included gender aspects in peacekeeping operations, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and conflict-related sexual violence, protection of women and children, human rights, and international humanitarian law.
It said the soldiers also shared best practices and identified common challenges so they could plan on how best to cooperate to fulfill their mandate to defeat terrorist groups in Somalia.
Wenceslas Nteturuye, AMISOM Burundian contingent's deputy chief of training said the knowledge and discussions would enable the soldiers fulfill the AU mission's mandate. ■
