Kismayo, 8 March 2024 – Thirty police officers serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), on Thursday concluded a five-day capacity building training on child protection in armed conflict situations.
Conducted in the port city of Kismayo in Jubaland State, the workshop organized by ATMIS Protection, Human Rights, and Gender (PHRG) brought together Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit (FPU) officers to align the Federal Government of Somalia’s (FGS) broader objectives of bolstering efforts to promote the rights and welfare of affected children in conflict zones.
“Our target for this training is for the Formed Police Unit (FPU) to be able to know the legal instruments that protect children especially within the conflicts in Africa,” said Gloria Jaase, ATMIS senior Protection and Human Rights officer.
“We have also touched on the legal frameworks that are global because it is also important to synchronize both the regional and global instruments for the protection of children in the situation of armed conflicts,” added Jaase.
Jasse also stated that the training was vital in analysing significant legal instruments, such as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
“With all these instruments being unpacked and passed on to participants, we are confident that they will integrate this knowledge during this drawdown process to protect children when they conduct their operations,” explained Jaase.
Some of the topics learnt included Sexual and Gender Based Violence, Gender mainstreaming, as well as youth, peace, and security agenda, among others.
SP Samuel Abu Bakarr Kargbo, the Contingent Commander of the Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit, underscored the significance of the training in creating a safe and conducive environment for children in the horn of Africa country.
“This course is a basic training for the promotion and welfare on the lives of children especially in armed conflict areas like the case of Somalia. So, having this course equips the requisite knowledge, and techniques to identify issues that children have been suffering for a long time,” said Kargbo.
Kargabo expressed his satisfaction with the workshop, emphasizing that it was the unit’s first experience to undertake the specialized training, which will assist the officers in fulfilling the mission’s objectives.
The programme provided participants with an opportunity to engage with trainers and discuss the impact of armed conflict on children in war, as well as the roles and duties of the police component in mitigating the threat.
Suffice to say, this training represents a critical milestone in the ongoing efforts to protect the most vulnerable populations in conflict zones by fostering a well-informed police force equipped with the knowledge and skills to address the complexities of child protection in such environments.