STORY: SOMALIA - DJIBOUTI TROOPS TRT: 4:37 SOURCE: AU/UN IST RESTRICTIONS: This media asset is free for

editorial broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is not to be sold on and is restricted for other purposes. All enquiries to news@auunist.org CREDIT REQUIRED: AU/UN IST LANGUAGE: SOMALI /NATS DATELINE: FEBRUARY 21, 2013 SHOTLIST: 1. Wide of IDP camp and AMISOM vehicles 2. Medium shot of soldier standing guard 3. Medium shot of makeshift houses in IDP camp 4. Wide shot of IDP camp 5. Soldier watching over camp from top of vehicle 6. Medium of women and children gathered in the IDP camp 7. Closeup of soldiers boots 8. Wide of AMISOM soldiers walking past vegetables that are being sold 9. Soundbite (Somali) Arda Ahmed Hirsi, Internally Displaced Person: The international community and our Somali brothers and sisters should do whatever they can to help us. Weve got lots of problems here, for example we need water and shelter, let them come and give whatever they can. 10. Wide of traders and animals in livestock market 11. Medium of livestock traders 12. Medium of a herd of goats 13. Medium of donkey walking past 14. Closeup of livestock traders face 15. Medium of traders driving away goats 16. Medium of a herd of goats 17. Soundbite (Somali) Adawe Elmi Nur, Deputy Governor, Hiiran: We have good security now. If security was bad, there would have been no one here. If it wasnt safe, this market would not be bustling the way it is now. 18. Wide of humvee driving down Beletweynes main street 19. Wide of AMISOM soldiers patrolling the street 20. Medium of children watching the soldiers

21. Closeup of female AMISOM soldiers face 22. Wide of women walking past female soldier 23. Closeup of Djibouti patch on AMISOM soldiers uniform 24. Wide of soldier on guard in street 25. Closeup of bees crawling on watermelon 26. Wide of watermelon trader/AMISOM soldiers/pedestrians 27. Closeup of watermelon traders face 28. Medium of watermelon trader attending to a customer 29. Medium of AMISOM soldier on guard 30. Medium of African Union and Djibouti flags 31. Wide of AMISOM camp 32. Closeup on face of Col. Osman Dubad, the Djibouti Contingent Commander 33. Medium of Dubad and other officers checking text messages on their phones 34. Soundbite (Somali) Col. Osman Dubad, Djibouti Contingent Commander As AMISOM, we appealed to the local population to place their trust in us. They did, and it has made our job easier and helped us to interact well with the communities here which is very important and weve managed to integrate really well with all levels of society. 35. Wide of Somali National Army (SNA) soldiers marching 36. Closeup of SNA soldiers face 37. Wide of soldiers standing at attention 38. Closeup of soldiers boots 39. Wide of soldiers standing at attention 40. Closeup of soldiers face 41. Wide of soldiers running towards vehicles 42. Closeup of guns muzzle 43. Closeup of soldiers hand on gunsight 44. Medium of soldiers manning gun mounted on vehicle 45. Wide of SNA soldiers manning technicals 46. Wide of sun setting over Beletweyne 47. Medium of AMISOM soldier kneeling during evening prayers 48. Wide of AMISOM soldiers praying in tent 49. Medium of soldier raising his hands while praying 50. Wide of tent where AMISOM soldiers are praying 51. Wide of soldiers praying inside tent 52. Medium of sun setting behind hill STORY: In September last year, most of the people here at the Eljalley IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) Camp lost their homes when heavy rains led to severe floods in and around Beletweyne in the Hiraan Region. Djiboutian soldiers serving with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) helped

evacuate affected families to dry land and has since been providing security and clean water to approximately 400 people camped at Eljalley. The troops also regularly donate food and other supplies to the IDPs from their own stores. The international community and our Somali brothers and sisters should do whatever they can to help us. Weve got lots of problems here, for example we need water and shelter, let them come and give whatever they can, said Arda Ahmed Hirsi, who lives in the camp with her grandchildren after losing their home in the floods. Located some 300 kilometers from the capital Mogadishu, Beletweyne was under the control of extremist group al Shabaab until December 31, 2011, when members of the Ethiopian Defense Force working with the then Transitional Federal Government (TFG), and pro-government militia groups ousted the al Shabaab. In September 2012, soldiers from Djibouti serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), arrived in Beletweyne and took over security operations. Beletweyne, located in the fertile Hiraan region, is a not only Somalias fifth largest city, but also a critical trading hub for the entire country. Animals from the Beletweyne Livestock Market are shipped to Mogadishu, Bosaso, Berbera for domestic consumption and export to the Gulf States. AMISOMs presence in the area, and support to the Somali National Army, have made it possible now for entrepreneurs to resume their business activities after years of brutality and unlawful taxation by al Shabaab scared them off. We have good security now. If security was bad, there would have been no one here. If it wasnt safe, this market would not be bustling the way it is now, said Adawe Elmi Nur, the Deputy Governor of Hiiran, on a visit to the livestock market. Somalia has seen major changes over the last 22 months as large swathes of territory and major towns and cities were liberated from the once-feared al Shabaab by government forces backed by AMISOM troops. The Djiboutian contingent are fondly referred to as hiil walaal which means brother, supporter or helpmeet by Beletweynes residents, for their role in repulsing sporadic attacks by al Shabaab, resolving clan disputes, providing humanitarian assistance and promoting commercial activity. As AMISOM, we appealed to the local population to place their trust in us. They did, and it has made our job easier and helped us to interact well with the communities here which is very important and weve managed to integrate really well with all levels of society, said Col. Osman Dubad, the Djibouti Contingent Commander.

AMISOM is also training over 500 former pro-government militia fighters - that have now been integrated into the Somali National Army - in IED detection and demining, first aid and quick response, tactical driving as well as communications. AMISOMs goal is that eventually the Somali National Security Forces will be sufficiently trained and equipped to protect the population from the al-Qaeda associated al Shabaab. In the meantime, Beletweynes people are gaining more and more confidence every day that their dreams and prayers for hope and prosperity in their city and country are becoming a reality.