Ethiopian AMISOM troops trained on human rights protection in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A group of Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] deployed in the AU forces was trained in the protection of human rights, a course which was offered amid raising claims that the contingent is involved in human rights violations within Somalia.

The 25 soldiers completed a two-day training on Thursday, in a move aimed at reducing cases of violence targeting civilians in the war-torn country, which has been fighting for stability for the past three decades, following the ouster of General Siad Barre.

The training which ended on Thursday is part of AMISOM efforts to ensure that deployed personnel acquire knowledge and comply with international frameworks on human rights and humanitarian law, AMISOM said in a statement.

Kareem Adebayo, who is the Head of Protection, Human Rights, and Gender Cluster for AMISOM, urged the officers to apply the acquired knowledge and skills to perform their duties. He said human rights protection is a fundamental virtue for the mission troops.

“I hope you will leave this training better equipped in aspects of protection, human rights, and gender matters,” said Adebayo, adding that the soldiers will be required to disseminate the knowledge to colleague soldiers within the Force.

Adebayo, who represented Ambassador Francisco Madeira, the head of AMISOM, lauded the officers for attending the training, which reflected a commitment to protecting human rights in Somalia.

Participants learned about the Somali culture and gender in peace support operations, the role of gender focal points, protection of women against sexual and gender-based violence, and conflict-related sexual violence, AMISOM added.

Others included the International Humanitarian Law and Gender; core tasks of Civil-Military Cooperation (CIMIC), introduction to AMISOM Civilian Casualties Tracking and Analysis and Response Cell (CCTARC).

A Human Rights Officer for AMISOM, Ulrike Kahbila Mbuton, reiterated the mission’s commitment to ensuring full compliance with international Human Rights Law. Due to disruptions brought about by the global COVID-19 pandemic, AMISOM has had to include online training to ensure continuity in implementing the mission’s mandate.

The Ethiopian troops control Sector IV and VI of AMISOM in Somalia and are credited for flushing Al-Shabaab from Mogadishu. However, there have been claims that Ethiopia deployed non-AMISOM contingent in Somalia, which is accused of serious violation of human rights.

GAROWE ONLINE