About 28 senior officers from the military and police components of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Somali National Army (SNA) have completed training on how best to improve relations with civilian population in the theatre of operations.
Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) is the means by which the military establishes formal relations with civilian populations, local authorities, international organisations and non-governmental organisations within its area of responsibility to enhance cooperation.
ATMIS is a multidimensional mission (military, police and civilian) authorised by the African Union (AU) and mandated by the United Nations Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council to develop capacity of Somali Security Forces and to support peace and reconciliation efforts. ATMIS become operational on 1 April 2022 replacing the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The CIMIC training was organised by the ATMIS CIMIC Cell and was facilitated by the United Kingdom Mission Support Team (UKMST).
“I implore you to make the most of the knowledge acquired by ensuring that it is applied in your various sectors. It is also significant to remember that CIMIC tasks involve coordination, cooperation and sharing of information between the military and the civilian population,” said ATMIS Chief Military Information Officer and Acting Chief of Staff, Col. Hans Nyange, to the trainees.
Among the key topics tackled during the five-days were Humanitarian Awareness and Principles, the Somalia Transition Plan, Gender Concepts, Protection of Civilians, Human Rights, Justice Systems in Somalia, Media Relations and Local Diseases and Prevention.
The ATMIS Chief CIMIC Officer, Col. Herman Kabwita, said CIMIC trainings are necessary to help newly deployed ATMIS officers better understand the local context, and also prepare Somali Security Forces to take over security responsibilities once ATMIS exists Somalia.
“The aim is to sharpen these officers, who are new in the mission, in such a way they will be able to operate independently within local communities,” Col. Kabwita.
Lt. Mohamed Foley, of the Somali National Army (SNA), said the training was important to him and his colleagues, especially on how to build mutually beneficial relations with members of the civilian population.
“We learnt a lot in this training including the nuances in the local communities and how to conduct ourselves in newly liberated areas where the population need Quick Impact Projects to meet some of their immediate needs,” Lt. Foley said. ATMIS
