STORY: Somalia’s army asked to comply with International

Humanitarian Law during military operations

DURATION: 5:16
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 13/AUGUST/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, Somalia Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama
Hussein ‘Gorod’ and AMISOM officials walking at the General Gordon Military
Academy in Mogadishu
2. Med shot, Somalia Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama
Hussein ‘Gorod’ and AMISOM officials walking at the General Gordon Military
Academy in Mogadishu
3. Wide shot, Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers on parade
4. Close up shot, SNA soldiers on parade
5. Wide shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’ and Dr. Omar Abdulle
Alasow, Senior Advisor to AMISOM on International Humanitarian Law and Human
Rights arriving to address the soldiers
6. Wide shot, soldiers on parade being addressed by Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama
Hussein ‘Gorod’
7. Med shot, soldiers listening
8. Wide shot, soldiers listening to Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’
9. Med shot, soldiers seated on ground listening to Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein
‘Gorod’
10. Close up shot, soldiers listening
11. Close up shot, a soldier listening
12. Wide shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’ addressing the soldiers
13. Med shot, soldiers listening
14. Close up shot, a soldier listening
15. Med shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’ addressing the soldiers
16. Close up shot, a soldier listening
17. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod, Somalia Chief
of Defence Forces (CDF)
“When you want to maintain security and you are fighting insurgents (Al-Shabaab),
there are international laws to be observed which must to be safeguarded. The
religion of Islam ordains that. The people you are protecting, those you are fighting
with and those you are fighting for should be very clear to you. If you cannot
differentiate them, you are creating more enemies for yourself. You cannot achieve
victory because you have trampled upon Islamic and international law. Instead of
deserving a reward and praise for your actions, you become a criminal and you will
be brought before a court of law.”

18. Med shot, Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, Senior Advisor to AMISOM on International
Humanitarian Law and Human Rights addressing the soldiers
19. Med shot, soldiers listening
20. Med shot, Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow addressing the soldiers
21. Wide shot, soldiers listening
22. Med shot, soldiers listening
23. Wide shot, Med shot, soldiers listening
24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, Senior Advisor to AMISOM on
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
“The rules apply to situations of war and these are officers and soldiers who are
going to conduct operations soon. The idea is that they ensure compliance with
applicable international obligations; rules that protect the victims of war; rules that
limit the effects of armed conflict; rules that restrict methods and means of
warfare.”

25. Wide shot, distribution of copies of the ten combat rules to the SNA
commanders
28. Wide shot, soldiers on parade
29. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, Senior Advisor to AMISOM on
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
“Somalia is state party to the International conventions; is state party to the Geneva
Convention and they have an obligation to respect and ensure respect for
International law governing the conduct of warfare. Because of joint operations
AMISOM have an interest and has been conducting theses trainings for the SNA.”

30. Med shot, commanders reading the copies

31. SOUNDBITE: (English) Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, Senior Advisor to AMISOM on
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
“This has contributed to the transition. Now you see today there is a bulk of trainers
of international humanitarian law for the SNA (Somali National Army). You see today
they are taking the lead. The CDF is the individual who read out the code of conduct.
The 10 rules of what they should do and what they should not do. So I see now an
interest in the Somali National Army forces taking compliance issues seriously and at
the same time, they are in the front. They are the ones conducting the
dissemination; they are the ones using those officers that we have trained for them.
So I see now that there is a capacity within the SNA in terms of dissemination, in
terms of understanding the laws of war.”

33. Med shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’, Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow
and Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo in a meeting
34. Wide shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’, Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow
and Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo in a meeting
35. Med shot, Haji Ssebirumbi Kisinziggo, AMISOM Senior Political Affairs Officer at
the meeting
36. Close up shot, DSRCC Simon Mulongo
37. Wide shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’, Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow
and Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo in a meeting
38. SOUNDBITE: (English) Simon Mulongo, Deputy Special Representative of the
Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia
“Our interaction with the Minister of Defence and the CDF (Chief of Defence Forces)
is basically to heighten the operational plans for the purposes of executing the
transitional plan because AMISOM and the SNA are supposed to work together in
the Comprehensive Approach to Security of Somalia and we are looking at how best
we can execute these plans, starting with the priority areas and also cover the whole
country in a new approach in which we shall include stability operations. So our
interaction with them is to consolidate those plans.”

39. Med shot, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’ and DSRCC Simon Mulongo
shaking hands
40. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’, Somalia Chief
of Defence Forces (CDF)
“I am very happy with the way everything is going on and we are optimistic that we
can make achievements. When you want to achieve something, you have to plan
and prepare and then you execute the plan and this is part of those efforts.”

STORY

Somalia’s army asked to comply with International Humanitarian Law during

military operations

Mogadishu, 13 August 2018 – The Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) of the Somali
National Army(SNA), Maj. Gen. Abdiweli Jama Hussein ‘Gorod’, has instructed his
troops to ensure compliance with the International Humanitarian Law, when
conducting military operations in the country.

The CDF warned that soldiers who disregard the law will be prosecuted. He also
distributed the “Code of Conduct for Combatants’ to the local army to familiarize
them with combat rules, which guides on how to protect civilians and their property,
limit destruction and respect civilian property during combat, among other rules.

The Humanitarian Law regulates the conduct of forces in armed conflict and seeks to
protect the rights of civilians who are not participating in hostilities.

“When you want to maintain security and you are fighting insurgents (Al-Shabaab),
there are international laws to be observed which must to be safeguarded,” Gen.
Abdiweli cautioned the soldiers. “The religion of Islam ordains that. The people you
are protecting, those you are fighting with and those you are fighting for should be
very clear to you.”

Senior officials of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) joined the army
chief and troops to discuss the tenets of the International Humanitarian Law, at the
General Gordon Military Academy in Mogadishu on Monday.

AMISOM is spearheading training of the Somali National Security Forces on

International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.
“The rules apply to situations of war and these are officers and soldiers who are
going to conduct operations soon. The idea is that they ensure compliance with
applicable international obligations; rules that protect the victims of war; rules that
limit the effects of armed conflict; rules that restrict methods and means of
warfare,” explained Dr. Omar Abdulle Alasow, the Senior Advisor to AMISOM on
International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights.

Dr. Omar noted, that the briefing was part of a series of trainings being offered by
AMISOM to the SNA officers, to improve their knowledge on human rights issues and
ensure compliance with the International Humanitarian Law.

“Somalia is state party to international conventions; is state party to the Geneva

Convention and they have an obligation to respect and ensure respect for
International humanitarian law governing the conduct of warfare,” said Dr. Omar.

He observed that the joint nature of operations between AMISOM and the SNA has
compelled the AU Mission to conduct a series of trainings for the army, to create
awareness and ensure compliance.

Separately, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African

Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Mr. Simon Mulongo, held a security meeting
with the Federal Minister of Defence, Mr. Hassan Ali Mohamed; CDF Maj. Gen.
Abdiweli and other top SNA officers. The meeting focused on the implementation of
the Transition Plan.

“Our interaction with the Minister of Defence and the CDF is basically to heighten
the operational plans for the purposes of executing the transition plan because
AMISOM and the SNA are supposed to work together in the Comprehensive
Approach to Security of Somalia,” stated Mr. Mulongo.

On his part, Maj. Gen. Abdiweli hailed the collaboration between the SNA and
AMISOM, which he noted had allowed for joint planning. He expressed optimism
about efforts being undertaken to build the capacity of the SNA to take charge of the
country’s security.

“When you want to achieve something, you have to plan and prepare and then you
execute the plan and this is part of those efforts,” Gen. Abdiweli remarked.

END