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Issue 17, 30 November 2010

(Pg.6.)

Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha discusses civilian casualties

For the Record
Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha discusses civilian casualties

Care for the Wounded

AMISOM medics treat civilian victims

Rising Force

Somali police recruits look to the future

Public Health

Combating waterborne diseases in Mogadishu

In Profile

Lt. Tharcisse Ndereyimana has the moves

Military Brass
British general makes rare Somalia visit

For the Record

Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha discusses civilian casualties
AMISOM Force Commander Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha recently sought to set the record straight on the issue of civilian casualties in Mogadishu, where the general issued an apology Nov. 23 over unintentional civilian deaths by AU forces in an incident near the airport. Mugisha said that AMISOM commanders and soldiers are only allowed to return fire at armed opposition groups whenever the intensity of insurgent attacks is deemed to be jeopardizing to the safety of the civilian population living in and around AMISOM positions. In interview excerpts below Mugisha offers a broad picture of the realities on the ground in Mogadishu as well as responding to AMSIOM critics on the sensitive issue of civilians casualties. recently we have been provoked from the Bakara market junction as well as from the Kasabalbalare area, where the opposition forces have been shelling us. But there were no response from our side. This and many others similar scenarios are a clear indication of our resolve that public places, including Bakara market, are no fire zones. If they are any stray bullets or bombs that end up in those locations they should be investigated. Our commanders and troops have instructions to account for any bomb that is released. At the end of the day we suspect that some of these shelling are actually done by the armed opposition groups to discredit AMISOM and the government. We have no capacity to investigate on the side of the opposition forces, but I believe the Somali public can tell the difference. And I can imagine that these claims are targeted propaganda to discredit AMISOM and the TFG by the opposition in order to justify their brutality and win public support. On our side I have clearly instructed our commanders and soldiers that public places are no-fire zones for our artillery and guns. We only target the insurgents who fire at us and only after we realize that the degree of their provocation has gone too far and is endangering civilians. Our reaction is only meant to pre-empt or to stop their continued provocations. The Somali people should have hope in their government. They now have a new cabinet and a new prime minister who everyone was anxiously waiting for. As AMISOM we cannot wait to start working with the new team. As a representative of the international community in Somalia, AMISOM is working for the best interests of the Somali people. We wish to appeal to these people who have made shooting guns and bombing their business. These shooting have been going for 19 years in Somalia and have only brought misery to the people. Many people have died, others wounded, many permanently lamed while others continue to suffer to date by being rendered homeless. It is high time for the Somalis, irrespective of their difference, to sit and amicably resolve their problems. If for example all opposition groups could sit with the government and resolve their difference tomorrow, we as AMISOM will have no business to do here. The following day we will pack our bags and go home. g
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e as AMISOM regret any life loss of life or injuries sustained by anyone in the Somali conflict, including those among the opposition. AMISOM is in Somalia only to protect and preserve life that has not been lost in the 19 years of conflict in Somalia. That is why we have helped the government expand their areas of control. It now controls eight districts out of the 16 districts in Mogadishu. Four districts are still disputed with the opposition forces, while four others are still held by the opposition. For us it is not about how much territory we help the government take. Winning the hearts and minds of the people is the most important thing. My biggest accomplishment is how much I have done to uplift the welfare of Somali society, especially those poor people who have been dying of treatable wounds and diseases. We treat 12,000 people for free every month in our hospitals. We give free, safe drinking water to thousands more and share our little food with others. More importantly, we have also been able to help save the lives of many ailing children and bring back smiles to hundreds of Somali women suffering from fistula. This is my biggest success, and we wish to sustain such aid in order to reach more people. It is unfortunate that we still get provocations from the armed opposition groups. However, AMISOM has standing operational procedures that are strictly adhered to by our commanders and soldiers alike. Our rules of engagement clearly state that public places like schools, hospitals or markets are never to be targeted. Our troops observe restraint to the point that
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Care for the Wounded

AMISOM medics treat civilian victims

ithout doubt insecurity is still the biggest challenge facing Mogadishu residents who have been forced to put up with stray bullets, mortars and bombs that kill and maim many. At the main Mogadishu seaport officials say several civilians are wounded almost everyday from stray bullets and occasional mortars hurled by armed opposition groups targeting AU peacekeepers securing the port. The seaport is the main lifeline for vital humanitarian supplies arriving in Mogadishu and a livelihood for Somalis who work at the docks. AMISOM spokesman Major Barigye Ba-Hoku is saddened by the loss of innocent civilian life never involved in the fighting. There is no doubt that stray bullets and mortars mostly fired by opposition forces kill and maim many people in Mogadishu, Ba-Hoku said. The main problem with these stray munitions is that it kills people far away from the battle ground. It is really sad and worrying. The seaport is not the only place in Mogadishu where stray munitions harm civilians. Residents from across the city who have been caught in the crossfire come to AMISOMs free medical facilities, which treat dozens of civilians suffering from war wounds on any given day. Some of the victims are quite young. Ten-year-old Hawa Muhyidin was wounded when a stray mortar landed in
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her familys house, killing all her relatives except her elder sister. The injuries she sustained that bloody day means she has to live without her two legs that were amputated to save her life. I miss my parents and siblings, Muhyidin said. I wish I could play with the children, but I cannot because I dont have legs. We were playing in our house when suddenly I heard a big bang. My mother, two brothers and a sister were killed by the mortar that landed in our house. I sustained injuries to both my legs, which were amputated. It was really painful. I now feel much better after receiving treatment at the AMISOM hospital. I am ready to go home. Fatuma Abdi, 15, is yet another child victim. A stray bullet struck Fatuma near her familys home in Hodan district, which is close to the western Mogadishu frontline. The bullet had torn through Fatumas bicep and lodged in her neck. I found her lying in a pool of blood just outside our house, said Halima Hilowle, the girls mother. She could not talk and was crying in pain pointing at her shoulders. I had to rush her to the Burundian peacekeepers hospital, because I have no money to take her to private hospitals. The AMISOM surgical theater where Fatuma was underwent emergency care is a simple green tent that lacks basic equipment. Surgical operations are done on a small bed with no oxygen
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available and no proper lighting. The Burundian doctor had to flip up one side of the tent in order to allow sunlight inside so he could get a clear sight of the bullet injury. Three male nurses, also peacekeepers from Burundi, helped with the surgery. One of the three was busy consoling and undressing the girl as two others prepared gauzes, antiseptics, operating knive and other essential equipment to be used by the surgeon. The surgical procedure lasted close to an hour before the bullet was finally removed. The operation was a success, said Dr. Nicaise Nsabimana. Its an AK-47 bullet, which is the most common weapon used by fighters in Somalia. As you can see she is very lucky because the bullet did not damage any tissues or cause internal hemorrhage. We will admit her and observe her for five days. The wounds have to be cleaned daily to avoid any infection. The African Union peacekeepers from Burundi and Uganda offer free treatment to at least 800 Somalis every day in several similar clinics located at their expanding bases in Mogadishu. Civilians who seek medical aid from AMISOM are mostly the poorest of the traumatized Somali people. The peacekeepers also provide free clean drinking water to residents of Mogadishu living near nearly 20 AMISOM bases dotted across Mogadishu. g

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Rising Force
Somali police recruits look to the future

An AMISOM police trainer with recruits

Meet the young face of Somalias future police force, a group of hundreds of Somali patriots driven by a burning desire to bring positive change to their country. Ruqia Ahmed, 18, is one. She was born and brought up in Waberi district close to the main airport in Mogadishu. Being a girl, she rarely left home and went to a nearby primary school and a Koranic school. But much of Ahmeds youth was spent at home caring for family while lawlessness swept Mogadishu. When an opportunity to join the police force presented itself Ahmed never hesitated. Her parents tried to talk her out of it in vain. She is determined to make a difference. Below are excerpts from an interview done while Ahmed waited in the Mogadishu airport along with other recruits going for three months of AMISOM police training. had never been to the airport let alone flying to Djibouti, and yet I have grown up just across here in Waberi. I have been waiting for this day since I turned 18 ten months ago. That is when I joined the police force. We are heading to Djibouti for training. I hope to gain enough training to help me help secure my country. I wish to request the people of Somali to pray for us so that we return in one piece and rescue them from the current suffering. Our people have suffered too much. This is what inspired me to be a policewoman. We hope to rescue them when we return. SoAMISOM BULLETIN - ISSUE 17, 2010

malis do not deserve to live like this. Al-Shaba should know that their days are over. They should simply go, because when we return back we will teach them a lesson and avenge the people they have killed. No criminal will be able to freely move around. I was born in the chaos. I had never seen a government. I always thought life is all about fighting and killing each other. I hated clan militias and never joined or even supported them. Now I have an opportunity to change all that and help my coun-

try get back the peace it has sought for many years. I know the public have a bad feeling about the police officers, because some of us rob or simply harass people. Once we return we will clear such rogue elements out of the police force as well as any other criminal elements among the public. Many of us recruits are young as you can see. We were just tired of the chaos, fighting and killings. God willing we will make a big difference. We just urge our people to support us, because we plan to make Somalia safe for everyone. g

Somali recruits
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Public Health
Combating waterborne diseases in Mogadishu

aterborne diseases kill millions every year globally, and Somalia is among the countries at risk. Many families in Somalia have no access to clean water or sanitation. The risk of contracting waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhea is very high in this chaotic part of the world, according to the United Nations. As part of their efforts to combat waterborne diseases, the Burundi contingent of AMISOM operates a deep-water well that is connected to a purification water system, which allows tens of thousands of litters to be produced daily. Some of the clean water is provided free of charge to the displaced families living around the dilapidated old building that was once the Somali National University, which currently serves as headquarters for the Burundi peacekeepers. We produce up to 15,000 liters of clean and purified water daily for the usage of both our soldiers and civilians living in the areas of our responsibility, said Adjutant Bigirindauyi Longin

as he explained the process of purifying water to a group of foreign journalists visiting the Burundi base. The water we provide can stay pure for three months. Apart from providing clean drinking water, the Burundian contingent has another water source that produces up to 50,000 liters for usage in washing and bathing. Saado Ahmed, a mother of four who lives in a nearby internally displaced camp, said she used to get water for her family from private vendors. She is one of the beneficiaries whose health has improved dramatically as a result of the free, clean water provided by AMISOM. Before we moved in near Jamacada (University), we used to buy jerry cans of water from a donkey cart, she said. It was too expensive and still dirty, but now we have water because we get it for free from the peacekeepers. The money we used to purchase the water, we save for other domestic use. Inevitably, it is the children who are most at risk
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from such waterborne diseases, which cause death through dehydration. Children are more at risk of drinking dirty water because of thirst, and Saado is a concerned parent. My children just like others are at risk of diarrhea because they drink water from anywhere, she said. Even when I send them to fetch water, they will first drink then fetch, they will not wait until they get home, so it has been a challenge. According to doctors at the Burundi field hospital, cases of waterborne illnesses reported among people living near the missions area of responsibility has declined since the peacekeepers started offering free clean drinking water. Most of the patients admitted in the mission hospitals are suffering from other diseases and war fatalities. But with clean water still in short supply in many parts of Mogadishu, the amount given away as aid by AMISOM remains inadequate for the large displaced population that has no other means. g

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In Profile
Lt. Tharcisse Ndereyimana

Lt. Tharcisse Ndereyimana has the moves

Lieutenant Tharcisse Ndereyimana from Burundi is our peacekeeper of the week. He works as a Movement Control Officer at Aden Ade international airport, where he and several fellow AMISOM peacekeepers are in charge of the safety for all incoming and outgoing cargo for AMISOM. The 36-year-old father of three hails from Gitega village, 135 kilometers east of the Burundian capital Bujumbura. Ndereyimana joined the army 10 years ago. He works in the heavy artillery unit of the Burundian forces but was deployed to work in the MOVCO unit in Mogadishu because he speaks Swahili and English in addition to French. Ndereyimana shared some of his experiences serving in Mogadishu in interview excerpts below.

came to Somalia in May of 2009. Before our deployment to Mogadishu we underwent three

courses, two in Uganda and one in Kenya. The three courses were about how to handle goods and people moving through the airport. These courses were meant to improve our cargo and passenger handling techniques as well as the general security procedures for our work at the international airport. We were taught how to handle dangerous good like ammunitions, explosives, flammable items, toxic items and many more. This training was very important because we know exactly what to do under any circumstances. My work at the airport as a Movement Control Officer is to make sure all arriving cargo is safe and will not cause harm or injuries to the passengers, plane and the airport. Our unit is very busy since the number of planes we handle keeps increasing largely due to the secure airport. Some of the challenges we face are that many
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passengers do not understand what is allowed into the plane and what is not allowed. A simple example is a passenger carrying a cigarette lighter which is a flammable item. We never get tired of advising passengers because we are helping them secure their own flight and lives. We keep a close watch of what goes into the plane and what comes out. That is what we do. We came to Somalia to help in the ongoing peace effort by AMISOM as well as to help the people and government of Somalia. The Somali people should not lose hope but instead should engage in peaceful activities that build their country. Fighting only causes destruction and death. I wish to tell the world and in particular the Somalis that Aden Ade international airport is safe. People are welcome to visit Mogadishu. We as AMISOM are here in Somalia to help the people gain peace and nothing else. g
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ogadishu recently played host to British Maj. Gen. Jonathan Shaw, who paid a rare visit to AU peacekeepers and top Somali security officials. Shaw said he was impressed by recent gains by AMISOM and Somali forces against armed opposition groups and promised stress the need for support of their efforts to the international community. AMISOM Force Commander Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha said Shaws visit to Mogadishu was timely, since Britain is set to take over the chairmanship of the rotating UN Security Council this month. Mugisha also said that Shaws visit could shed more light about the poorly funded peacekeeping mission that badly needs more troops in order to pacify Mogadishu and other Somali cities. The United Kingdom is going to chair the UN Security Council starting from this month, Mugisha said. You remember I went to the Security Council and briefed them on what is happening here and the need to reinforce both AMISOM and the TFG. It is this Security Council that will decide the way forward. And since the U.K. is the chair, they can use this rare opportunity to make a case on our behalf, to make other members of the Security Council understand what goes on here. And it is against this backdrop that the generals visit is timely. He has seen what we are doing, and he could see the progress we have made. His story will hopefully influence other members of the Security Council. Shaw was shown several AMISOM bases in Hodan district, where he was able to see firsthand the ground conditions AU peacekeepers face in fighting armed opposition groups. Shaw said he was impressed by what he witnessed. I came here to see for myself the great work AMISOM is doing on behalf of the international community, Shaw said. There is a very bad press outside there, but actually the truth I have seen here is that this is a very professional force who are trying very hard. And actually they are making great success, and I think the success they have had is something the outside world needs to know about. Shaw added: The AMISOM successes of the past weeks seem to have broken the stalemate in Mogadishu. And at the moment AMISOM seems to be on a roll, and I think we should give them all the support we can for their undoubted successes because this is a very difficult place to operate. Both AMISOM peacekeepers and the fragile Somali government are facing huge challenges in implementing their work. The roughly 8,000 AU peacekeepers in Somalia are ill equipped. And the Somali government forces fighting alongside AMISOM troops are rarely paid. Both generals reiterated the importance of ensuring that Somali government forces get stipends and other necessities, including food and medicine. AMISOM has been playing a greater role in helping treat wounded government forces and civilians with their meager resources. Following the Kampala bombings there has been a request for more forces on the ground here, Shaw said. I know that request is going through the international community machinery, and everyone is trying hard to meet those requests. I am confident in the months ahead we should see more troops coming in, more support and more equipment and more people coming in to help the AMISOM mission. This is a very important mission, and what we are seeing is a clear sign of success which we need to build on. The issue of paying Somali forces has been a growing problem for the government. Chaos, ghost workers and rampant corruption claims have marred the last few pay cycles of the forces, prompting the regional mediation body IGAD to send in senior military experts to team up with AMISOM in a bid to streamline the pay systems. There is no problem with stipends, food and even medicine for the TFG, Mugisha said. What we are lacking is a system to pay them. We need a transparent system to make sure the people who are doing the job are getting paid their entitlements. We have no problem with stipends at all; even their arrears will be paid. Those who worked will get pay. You will see some chaos when we start paying. You will see some demonstrations. But how does someone expect to be paid when he or she has not worked? g
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Military Brass
British general makes rare Somalia visit

AMISOM BULLETIN - ISSUE 17, 2010

AMISOM News Bulletin is a Bimonthly publication of the African Union Mission in Somalia
Editor-in-Chief: Gaffel G. Nkolokosa Spokesperson, Force Headquarters: Major Barigye Ba-Hoku Field Reports: Capt Chris Magezi Design/Layout: Zvezdan Djukanovic Editorial Assistance: AU/UN Information Support Team field reporters Guled Mohammed, Alinoor Moulid and Patrick Gathara Website: www.amisom-au.org
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