AU force trains military in Somalia ahead of their anticipated full exit

MOGADISHU, Somalia - African Union Mission in Somalia [AMISOM] is currently conducting training for newly deployed military and police officers on the Mission’s Environmental Standard Operating Procedures [SOPs] which details mandatory processes and procedures on environmental management practices applicable in the mission area.

This Environmental SOP was launched by AMISOM on August 19, 2020, and spells out the roles and responsibilities of every AMISOM personnel in protecting the environment. It provides guidelines on how to handle water, waste, energy, wild animals, plants, and wider environmental management.

The document which is also a comprehensive guiding framework for other peacekeeping efforts by the African Union across the continent covers preventive measures aimed at protecting mission staff against sicknesses and preventing harm to the environment.

In his opening remarks at the virtual training from Mogadishu, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission [SRCC] for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, said the training will enable newly deployed personnel to understand their environmental responsibilities and relevant environmental management procedures applicable in the mission area. He added that it would also help participants to identify the specific responsibilities of all the environmental focal points at sectors and FOBs.

The SRCC then encouraged the participants to diligently apply the training to their duties, including environmental issues relating to the Somalia Transition Plan such as handing over locations. He said that these locations should be thoroughly cleaned, free from any hazardous materials that could be harmful to the people and the environment.

He ended by highlighting that AMISOM will continue to demonstrate its commitment towards environmental and climate change issues to protect the host country’s environment.

The guest speaker and Director of United Nations Support Office in Somalia [UNSOS]Amadu Kamara, congratulated AMISOM on the development of a comprehensive environmental SOP, which he said was important to ensuring that AMISOM’s operations are environmentally responsible and help to protect the host country’s environment.

“We will need to collaborate further to take advantage of all the renewable alternative energies. We need to make sure that we do not leave any hazardous waste and that we contribute proactively to the environment in this country. One of the initiatives that we are trying to launch in which AMISOM will play an integral part is the countrywide tree planting exercise.

"With personnel in about 80 locations across Somalia, AMISOM is particularly positioned to make sure that this effort has the intended effect of being wide, focused, and level-driven,” Kamara said.

AMISOM Senior Policy Officer, Lucy Alghali, who led the training, said it was important that AMISOM personnel were aware of their individual and collective responsibilities in the implementation of the SOP procedures in their areas of deployment.

GAROWE ONLINE