Baidoa, 24 March 2024 – Thirty military officers serving with the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have completed a two-day intensive training on safeguarding children’s rights and welfare in conflict situations.
Organised by the ATMIS Protection, Human Rights and Gender (PHRG) cluster in collaboration with the African Union Compliance and Accountability Framework (AUCF), the training was attended by Ethiopia National Defence Forces (ENDF) personnel stationed in Baidoa, the administrative capital of Southwest State.
ATMIS Senior Protection and Human Rights Officer, Gloria Jaase, highlighted the critical nature of the training in Somalia, stating, “This training is critical in conflict areas and Somalia is not an exception. We all know that in situations of armed conflict, children suffer the most. Therefore, it is important for us to implement measures and put in place structures to safeguard children during times of conflict.”
Jaase emphasized the importance of prioritising child protection issues during ATMIS military operations and the phased handover of security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces.
“Training our troops in child protection will enhance our ability to monitor and report incidents. With the information gathered, we can develop effective child protection programmes,” added Ms Jaase.
Participants covered various topics, including mainstreaming child protection, children’s rights, legal standards, regional and global frameworks and Somalia’s national framework for the protection of children.
Ferdinand Nintunze, the Senior Case Management, Processes and Database Officer for ATMIS at the AUCF, reiterated the Mission’s commitment to safeguarding vulnerable populations, particularly children.
“Children are integral to the civilian population, and thus, the training aims to equip Ethiopian troops with skills to protect and advocate for children’s rights,” said Nintunze.
Maj. Aman Wako, ATMIS Chief of the Joint Operations Centre in Baidoa, described the training as informative and interactive, expressing gratitude to ATMIS for organising such valuable training sessions.
“We gained a lot from the training, especially regarding child protection in conflict. We thank ATMIS for facilitating such a valuable training, and I hope similar sessions will continue in the future for our benefit,” said Maj. Wako.
One of the participants, Lance Corporal Atsede Hailu Tulu, acknowledged the knowledge gained and called for similar training sessions in other ATMIS sectors.
“Personally, and as a group, we have learned a lot. I hope such training sessions continue in the future to improve our operational efficiency,” said Lance Corporal Tulu.
