AU forces train SNA and Jubaland forces in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The African Union Mission Forces in Somalia completed two-day training for the Jubaland forces and the Somali National Army [SNA] on Friday which focused on international humanitarian law, human rights, and gender rules, something which has been in progress for months.

Jubaland forces and the Somali National Army have been having struggles in work ethics for several years and the two have often clashed in the Gedo region where the Federal Government of Somalia is keen to control. The animosity between the two parties was just resolved recently following a series of meetings.

And the training in Kismayo, the regional administrative capital of Jubaland, was to sensitize AMISOM and Somali troops on how to integrate issues of Humanitarian Law, Human Rights, and Gender into joint operations. It covered security sector reform, conflict-related sexual violence, Human Rights Law, gender mainstreaming, civil-military cooperation, among topics, AMISOM said in a statement.

Hamouda Kanu, the AMISOM Head of Security Sector Reform, Hamouda Kanu, said the training was part of ongoing capacity-building support to ensure that Somali Security Forces are well informed and trained. The Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] in AMISOM who serve in Sectors VI took part in the training.

“These are programs that we are implementing for Somali forces is to ensure that they are well informed and trained on these issues which are important to peace support operations,” Kanu said in a statement.

According to the top AU forces official, the training is the first in a series of ongoing sessions that will also be conducted for AMISOM troops and Somali security forces based in Dhobley and Mogadishu.

A participant from the Jubbaland Intelligence Agency, Ahmed Abdikadir Ali, said the training was helpful. It made him understand his obligations to protecting civilians during conflict, and how to handle captured combatants or those who surrender during counter-terrorism operations.

Lieutenant Hassan Mukhtar Omar, another participant from the SNA, said the training would enable the troops to improve the conduct of military operations.

“We will share the knowledge and experiences shared with our colleagues who were unable to benefit from the training,” Mukhtar said, who has been serving in the Somali National Army for a couple of years now.

The troops have been fighting against the Al-Shabaab militants in central and southern Somalia, with Jubaland being one of the centers of focus. The SNA troops were recently deployed to Kismayo amid protests from the Jubaland administration, which works closely with the KDF team.

GAROWE ONLINE