Jowhar – The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) has conducted sensitisation and awareness sessions for officers from the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) and Somali Security Forces (SSF) to reinforce compliance with the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy (HRDDP) during military operations.

The two-day sessions at Jowhar Airfield Base aimed to deepen the understanding of HRDDP and its implementation among UNSOS-supported AUSSOM Burundi troops and SSF personnel.

“We conduct regular field visits to sensitise and create awareness for AUSSOM and SSF personnel on the policy and also on International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law to ensure effective implementation,” said Ms Jane Kembabazi, the UNSOS Human Rights Due Diligence Policy Program Management Officer.

“For instance, Burundi troops in Sector Five received pre-deployment training in Burundi and have consistently had in-country refresher courses as part of the commitment by Troop Contributing Countries to ensure troops they deploy in Somalia receive adequate training on human rights.”

UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2767 (2024) mandates UNSOS to provide logistical support to 11,826 AUSSOM uniformed personnel and 20,900 Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and the Somali Police Force (SPF) officers on joint or coordinated operations with AUSSOM until 31 December 2025 in full compliance with the HRDDP.

In Jowhar, UNSOS is providing logistical support to 100 SPF officers.

“We also conducted sessions with the Somali Police to gauge their understanding of HRDDP, respect for human rights, and I am very pleased with the level of engagement. We also discussed some of the challenges they face during their day-to-day operations. These sessions help us to ensure that the support provided by UNSOS reaches the intended recipients, and we also get to know what more support is required.’’

The UNSCR 2767 (2024) underscores AUSSOM’s obligation to cooperate with UNSOS on HRDDP implementation throughout all phases of operations, particularly in joint or coordinated operations with the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) and SPF.