Global Courant 2023-05-27 21:33:20
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The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) needs to step up training of Somali security forces in the field of child protection in armed conflict situations as it approaches the phase-out phase of its mission.
ATMIS deputy commander, Major General Marius Ngendabanka, said protecting children from violence was a critical part of peace support operations in Somalia.
“Child protection training is a critical step in enabling personnel to carry out their responsibilities with a child protection lens,” Major General Ngendabanka told a ceremony on Friday that marked the end of a week-long training of trainers in Mogadishu.
“Given the interaction of ATMIS personnel with the Somali security forces, the training should also be cascaded to enhance their child protection capabilities,” the deputy commander of the armed forces added.
The training attracted ATMIS Civilian and Sector Coordinators, Protection Human Rights and Gender (PHRG) and Civilian Casualty Tracking, Analysis and Response (CCTARC) cell personnel and police and military gender focal points.
Also present were employees of police and military training cells and the political unit of the mission.
Some of the training modules include child protection in peace support operations, the impact of conflict on children, child protection issues, legal frameworks for child protection, and understanding serious violations against children, among others.
Child exploitation is still widespread in Somalia, mainly due to the kidnapping and forced recruitment of children as soldiers by Al-Shabaab and other armed groups.
Anthony Njoroge, the lead facilitator and head of the Save the Children Program for Children, Youth in Peace and Security, said the training was part of the organization’s initiative aimed at strengthening the capacity of armed government actors to prevent abuse and prevent violence against children.
“The group we are training now should be trainers of trainers and train elsewhere. We had to equip them with facility skills, how to build and run training modules,” Njoroge said.
He noted that children in Africa are most affected by armed conflict, with more than 200 million children in Africa believed to be directly or indirectly involved in conflict and facing violations such as attacks on schools and hospitals, rape and sexual abuse, murders and mutilations, kidnappings and disappearances, as well as denial of access for humanitarian aid.
One of the interns, Fadir Karar, said the training had equipped participants with tools and knowledge to report and monitor child violations.
“We will apply these tools to ensure that the monitoring mechanisms are in place to support all African Union frameworks and resolutions, as well as UN Security Council resolutions,” said Karar, the ATMIS civil affairs officer.
Another participant, Major Mary Kaonga, who is also the ATMIS Military Gender Officer, said the 12 participants will devise an action plan to share the knowledge gained with other personnel in their areas of responsibility.
“It will be necessary for us to come up with activities, programs that we will use to reach those who were unable to participate in the training,” Maj Kaonga noted.
The training was organized by Save The Children International in collaboration with the PHRG division of the mission and supported by the European Union and the Swedish government.
According to the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, the situation of most African children remains critical due to the unique factors of their socio-economic, cultural, traditional and developmental circumstances, natural disasters, armed conflict, exploitation and hunger.
As a result, the document adds, they need special safeguards and care to achieve proper physical and mental maturity.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
This press release is issued by APO. The content is not checked by the African Business editors and none of the content has been checked or validated by our editors, proofreaders or fact-checkers. The publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
