84734 Amisom Bulletin 17

8/3/2019 84734 Amisom Bulletin 17

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(Pg.6.)

Public HealthCombating waterborne

diseases in Mogadishu

In Profle

Lt. Tharcisse Ndereyimana

has the moves

Rising ForceSomali police recruits

look to the future

For the RecordMaj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha

discusses civilian casualties

Military BrassBritish general makes

rare Somalia visit

Care for the WoundedAMISOM medics treat civilian victims

Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugishadiscusses civilian casualties


2/8AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIAAMISOM BULLETIN - ISSUE 17, 2010 2

AMISOM Force Commander Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha recently sought

o set the record straight on the issue of civilian casualties in Mogadishu,

where the general issued an apology Nov. 23 over unintentional civiliandeaths by AU forces in an incident near the airport. Mugisha said that

AMISOM commanders and soldiers are only allowed to return re 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.

We as AMISOM regret any life loss of life or injuries sustained byanyone in the Somali conict, including those among the opposition.AMISOM is in Somalia only to protect and preserve life that has not been

ost in the 19 years of conict in Somalia. That is why we have helped the

government expand their areas of control. It now controls eight districts outof 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

s 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 treat-

able 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

ave the lives of many ailing children and bring back smiles to hundreds of

Somali women suffering from stula. 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 opposi-

ion groups. However, AMISOM has standing operational procedures that

are strictly adhered to by our commanders and soldiers alike. Our rules of

ngagement clearly state that public places like schools, hospitals or mar-

kets are never to be targeted. Our troops observe restraint to the point that

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 similarscenarios are a clear indication of our resolve that public places, including

Bakara market, are no re 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 ac-

count 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-re zones for our artillery and guns. We only target theinsurgents who re 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 wait -

ing 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 So-

malia and have only brought misery to the people. Many people have died,

others wounded, many permanently lamed while others continue to suffer todate 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 dif-

ference tomorrow, we as AMISOM will have no business to do here. The

following day we will pack our bags and go home. g

For the RecordMaj. Gen. Nathan Mugishadiscusses civilian casualties


3/8AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIA AMISOM BULLETIN - ISSUE 17, 20103

Without doubt insecurity is still the biggestchallenge facing Mogadishu residents whohave been forced to put up with stray bullets, mor-

ars and bombs that kill and maim many. At the

main Mogadishu seaport ofcials say several ci-

vilians are wounded almost everyday from stray

bullets and occasional mortars hurled by armed

opposition groups targeting AU peacekeepers se-

uring the port.

The seaport is the main lifeline for vital hu-

manitarian supplies arriving in Mogadishu and

a livelihood for Somalis who work at the docks.AMISOM spokesman Major Barigye Ba-Hoku is

addened by the loss of innocent civilian life never

nvolved in the ghting.

There is no doubt that stray bullets and mortars

mostly red 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

eally 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 therossre come to AMISOMs free medical facili-

ies, which treat dozens of civilians suffering from

war wounds on any given day. Some of the vic-

ims are quite young. Ten-year-old Hawa Muhy-

din was wounded when a stray mortar landed in

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 re-ceiving 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 out-

side 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, becauseI 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 op-

erations are done on a small bed with no oxygen

available and no proper lighting. The Burun-

dian doctor had to ip 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 surgi-

cal procedure lasted close to an hour before the

bullet was nally removed.

The operation was a success, said Dr. Nicaise Nsabimana. Its an AK-47 bullet, which is the

most common weapon used by ghters in Soma-

lia. 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 ve 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 So-

malis every day in several similar clinics located

at their expanding bases in Mogadishu. Civilians

who seek medical aid from AMISOM are mostlythe poorest of the traumatized Somali people. The

peacekeepers also provide free clean drinking wa -

ter to residents of Mogadishu living near nearly 20

AMISOM bases dotted across Mogadishu. g

Care for the WoundedAMISOM medics treat civilian victims


4/8AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIAAMISOM BULLETIN - ISSUE 17, 2010

Meet the young face of Somalias future po-

ice force, a group of hundreds of Somali patri-

ots driven by a burning desire to bring positive

hange to their country. Ruqia Ahmed, 18, is one.

She was born and brought up in Waberi district

lose 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

tself Ahmed never hesitated. Her parents tried to

alk her out of it in vain. She is determined to makea difference. Below are excerpts from an inter-

view done while Ahmed waited in the Mogadishu

airport along with other recruits going for three

months of AMISOM police training.

Ihad never been to the airport let alone ying toDjibouti, and yet I have grown up just acrosshere in Waberi. I have been waiting for this day

ince I turned 18 ten months ago. That is when I

oined the police force. We are heading to Djibouti

or training. I hope to gain enough t raining to help

me help secure my country. I wish to request thepeople of Somali to pray for us so that we return

n one piece and rescue them from the current suf-

ering. Our people have suffered too much. This

s what inspired me to be a policewoman.

We hope to rescue them when we return. So -

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 gov-

ernment. I always thought life is all about ghting

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 ofcers, 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, ghting and kill-

ings. 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

4

An AMISOM policetrainer with recruits

Rising ForceSomali police recruitslook to the future

Somali recruits



Waterborne diseases kill millions every yearglobally, and Somalia is among the coun-ries at risk. Many families in Somalia have no

access to clean water or sanitation. The risk ofontracting 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 purication water system, which allows tens of

housands of litters to be produced daily. Some of

he 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 headquar-ers for the Burundi peacekeepers.

We produce up to 15,000 liters of clean and

puried water daily for the usage of both our sol-

diers and civilians living in the areas of our re-

ponsibility, 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 wash-

ing 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 pri-

vate vendors. She is one of the beneciaries whose

health has improved dramatically as a result of the

free, clean water provided by AMISOM.

Before we moved in near Jamacada (Univer-

sity), we used to buy jerry cans of water from a

donkey cart, she said. It was too expensive andstill 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 do -

mestic use.

Inevitably, it is the children who are most at risk

from such waterborne diseases, which cause death

through dehydration. Children are more at risk of

drinking di rty water because of thirst, and Saado

is a concerned parent.My children just like others are at risk of diar-

rhea because they drink water from anywhere,

she said. Even when I send them to fetch water,

they will rst drink then fetch, they will not wait

until they get home, so it has been a challenge.

According to doctors at the Burundi eld hospi-

tal, cases of waterborne illnesses reported among

people living near the missions area of responsi-

bility has declined since the peacekeepers started

offering free clean drinking water. Most of the

patients admitted in the mission hospitals are suf-

fering from other diseases and war fatalities. Butwith clean water still in short supply in many parts

of Mogadishu, the amount given away as aid by

AMISOM remains inadequate for the large dis-

placed population that has no other means. g

Public HealthCombating waterborne diseases in Mogadishu


6/8AFRICAN UNION MISSION IN SOMALIAAMISOM BULLETIN - ISSUE 17, 2010 6

Lieutenant Tharcisse Ndereyimana from Bu-

undi is our peacekeeper of the week. He worksas a Movement Control Ofcer at Aden Ade in -

ernational airport, where he and several fellow

AMISOM peacekeepers are in charge of the safety

or all incoming and outgoing cargo for AMISOM.

The 36-year-old father of three hails from Gitega

illage, 135 kilometers east of the Burundian capi-

al Bujumbura. Ndereyimana joined the army 10

ears ago. He works in the heavy artillery unit of

he Burundian forces but was deployed to work

n the MOVCO unit in Mogadishu because he

peaks Swahili and English in addition to French.

Ndereyimana shared some of his experiencesserving in Mogadishu in interview excerpts be-

ow.

Icame to Somalia in May of 2009. Before ourdeployment to Mogadishu we underwent three

courses, two in Uganda and one in Kenya. The

three courses were about how to handle goods andpeople moving through the airport. These courses

were meant to improve our cargo and passenger

handling techniques as well as the general secu-

rity procedures for our work at the international

airport.

We were taught how to handle dangerous good

like ammunitions, explosives, ammable 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

Ofcer is to make sure all arriving cargo is safeand will not cause harm or injuries to the passen -

gers, plane and the airport. Our unit is very busy

since the number of planes we handle keeps in-

creasing largely due to the secure airport.

Some of the challenges we face are that many

passengers do not understand what is allowed into

the plane and what is not allowed. A simple ex-ample is a passenger carrying a cigarette lighter

which is a ammable item. We never get tired of

advising passengers because we are helping them

secure their own ight 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 en-

gage in peaceful activities that build their country.

Fighting only causes destruction and death.I wish to tell the world and in particular the So-

malis 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

In Profle Lt. Tharcisse Ndereyimanahas the movesLt. Tharcisse Ndereyimana



Mogadishu recently played host to British Maj. Gen. Jonathan Shaw,who paid a rare visit to AU peacekeepers and top Somali securityofcials.

Shaw said he was impressed by recent gains by AMISOM and Somali

forces against armed opposition groups and promised stress the need for

upport 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 rotat-

ng UN Security Council this month. Mugisha also said that Shaws visit

ould shed more light about the poorly funded peacekeeping mission that

badly needs more troops in order to pacify Mogadishu and other Somali

ities.

The United Kingdom is going to chair the UN Security Council start-

ng from this month, Mugisha said. You remember I went to the Secu-

ity Council and briefed them on what is happening here and the need to

einforce 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

are opportunity to make a case on our behalf, to make other members of

he 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

nuence other members of the Security Council.

Shaw was shown several AMISOM bases in Hodan district, where hewas able to see rsthand the ground conditions AU peacekeepers face in

ghting 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 th ink the success they have had is something

he 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

o be on a roll, and I think we should give them all the support we can forheir undoubted successes because this is a very difcult 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 govern-

ment forces ghting 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 gov -

rnment 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

hrough the international community machinery, and everyone is trying

hard to meet those requests. I am condent in the months ahead we shouldee 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

o 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 me-

diation 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 jobare 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 demonstra-

ions. But how does someone expect to be paid when he or she has not

worked? g

MilitaryBrassBritish general makesrare Somalia visit


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Phone: +254 202 713 755 /56 /58

Fax: +254 202 713 766

Editorial Assistance: AU/UN Information Support Team eld reporters Guled Mohammed, Alinoor Moulid and Patrick Gathara

Design/Layout: Zvezdan Djukanovic

Field Reports: Capt Chris Magezi

Editor-in-Chief: Gaffel G. NkolokosaSpokesperson, Force Headquarters: Major Barigye Ba-Hoku

AMISOM News Bulletin is a Bimonthly publication of the African Union Mission in Somalia

Website: www.amisom-au.org Email: [email protected]

P.O Box 20182 00200,

Nairobi, Kenya

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reect those of AMISOM and neither does their inclusion in the bulletin/website constitute an endorsement by AMISOM

84734 Amisom Bulletin 17

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