Thursday 19 Sep 2024 {HMC} A military helicopter carrying international peacekeepers crashed on the outskirts of Somali capital Mogadishu on Thursday.

Several military personnel aboard the helicopter, including three Ugandan soldiers serving with the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), survived the crash, according to security sources.

The incident resulted in no deaths, a military official told Anadolu over the phone, requesting anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the media.

So far, neither the Somali National Army (SNA) nor the ATMIS have released a statement regarding the incident.

However, sources said all of people on board the helicopter were rescued.

It is unclear whether the crash was caused by a technical issue or a hostile fire.

The helicopter was flying from Mogadishu to Ballidogle airfield, where US forces and Somali army commandos Danab are stationed.

Balidogle is 90 kilometers (55 miles) south-west of Mogadishu.

SOURCE 

Anadolu

Thursday , 19 Sep 2024 Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Thursday that Türkiye aims to hold separate talks with Ethiopia and Somalia before hosting new negotiations to settle a dispute between the sides over a deal that Ethiopia agreed to lease a stretch of coastline from Somaliland.

Türkiye has so far hosted two rounds of meetings between the East African neighbors in an attempt to repair their relations. A third round of talks that had initially been set to take place in Ankara on Tuesday was canceled.

Relations nosedived in January when Ethiopia agreed to lease 20 kilometers (12 miles) of coastline from the breakaway Somaliland region in exchange for recognizing its independence. Mogadishu called the agreement illegal and retaliated by expelling the Ethiopian ambassador and threatening to kick out thousands of Ethiopian troops stationed in the country helping battle Islamist insurgents.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA), Fidan said Türkiye was continuing to engage with Somalia and Ethiopia at the ministerial and head of state level and added he was hopeful of finding a solution since the parties had “converged to a certain point” as part of the Ankara talks.

“Rather than bringing the same sides here for direct talks – and they don’t meet directly anyway, they meet us – we have the aim of establishing one-on-one contact to converge positions and later bring the sides together when their positions reach a totally common point,” Fidan said, adding there were “lessons” learned from the first two rounds of talks.

SOURCE 

Mogadishu, 19 September 2024 – Thirty-two military and police officers from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) on Wednesday completed training on mainstreaming women’s rights and promoting gender equality in peace support operations.

Organized jointly by ATMIS’ Protection, Human Rights, and Gender (PHRG) Cluster and the African Union Compliance Framework (AUCF), the four-day training for Gender Focal Point and Female Engagement officers was to enhance their skills in effective gender mainstreaming and contributing meaningfully to ending gender-based violence and conflict-related sexual abuse.

“Upholding the rights of women has always been part of the value system of African cultures. Therefore, it’s imperative that we entrench these values into ATMIS’ operations and ensure that we do no harm and protect women and children in our areas of operations,” said the Deputy Head of Mission for ATMIS, Sivuyile Bam at the opening ceremony on Sunday.

He added that equipping our Gender Focal Point officers with enhanced skills in gender mainstreaming and addressing gender-based violence, would not only strengthen ATMIS’s operational effectiveness but also contribute to the broader goal of building a more inclusive and just society in Somalia.

“This training underscores our dedication to ensuring that women’s voices are heard, their rights are protected, and their contributions are valued in all aspects of our peace support operations. As we move forward, let us remember that gender equality is not just a women’s issue – it is a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of sustainable peace and development”, he said.

The Police Commissioner for ATMIS, Hillary Sao Kanu, spoke on the importance of promoting gender equality and women’s rights within ATMIS military and police operations.

“This training is crucial in generating solutions to empower women, promote gender equality, and overcome societal barriers such as pay gaps, gender-based violence, and sexual-based violence. Gender equality is not just about women’s rights issues, it’s about human rights and fairness,” said CP Kanu.

The Acting Head of the Protection, Human Rights and Gender Cluster for ATMIS, Dr. Omar Alasow, at the closing ceremony on Wednesday, said the participants would subsequently undergo a Training of Trainers (TOT) course to enable them to share the knowledge with other officers in the sectors.

“The participants were trained on various topics, including prevention of sexual exploitation, and abuse, gender-based violence, human rights and protection of women and international humanitarian law,” said Dr. Alasow.

The training also covered Somalia’s legal policy framework for gender equality and strategies for effective partnership with Somali women and the Federal government to incorporate women in peace and security agendas.

The Sector Two Female Engagement team lead and Dhobley Women Association focal point for ATMIS, Capt. Valary Shikuku was grateful for the training, emphasising its importance in advancing women’s rights.

“The training will enable me to support my fellow troop members and the women we engage with in our daily operations in the sector,” said Capt. Shikuku.

Assistant Inspector of Police (AIP), Michael Oluge, emphasised the role of men in safeguarding women’s rights, particularly in during conflict.

“I’ve gained invaluable knowledge and the skills to through this training It’s been a good training experience, and I urge the facilitators to consider including more men in such trainings,” said AIP Oluge.

Thursday 19, Sep 2024 {HMC} A senior U.S. State Department official said Wednesday that Beijing’s support for Moscow’s defense industry comes directly from the top leadership of the People’s Republic of China, or PRC. The official also pointed out that chips supplied by China have significantly bolstered Russia’s battlefield capabilities in its war against Ukraine.

For months, U.S. officials have accused the PRC of actively aiding Russia’s war effort. Washington has sanctioned Chinese firms providing crucial components to Russia’s defense industry.

On Wednesday, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told lawmakers that the U.S. had been slow to fully grasp the “absolute intensity of engagement” between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The most worrisome thing is that it [China’s support for Russia] comes from the very top,” Campbell said during a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing.

He added that “chips, some design features, some capacities associated with the making of explosives” have been enhancing Russia’s battlefield operations.

“We see the role of UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones] and other capacities that are penetrating the Ukrainian airspace. Much of that has been supported surreptitiously by China, and it raises real concerns.”

Chinese officials rejected Washington’s accusations, asserting that the U.S. should not “smear or attack the normal relations between China and Russia” or infringe upon “the legitimate rights and interests” of China and its companies.

Beijing also continues to call for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine leading to a political settlement, more than two and a half years into the war.

Some members of Congress have urged President Joe Biden’s administration to sanction Chinese banks for supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine.

“We’ve put many of their [PRC] financial institutions on watch. … We’ve got to have Europeans with us. I think we’re beginning to make headway,” said Campbell.

The State Department’s second-ranking diplomat said the challenges posed to the U.S. by the PRC exceed those of the Cold War, following a large-scale joint military exercise between China and Russia.

Dubbed “Ocean-2024,” the massive naval and air drills spanned a huge swath of ocean and involved more than 400 naval vessels, at least 120 military aircraft and upward of 90,000 troops, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

Without naming specific countries, Chinese officials said that the military exercise between the two allies, which concluded Monday, was intended to address joint threats.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, elaborated during a recent briefing in Beijing, saying, “China and Russia [held] this joint exercise in order to deepen their mil-to-mil strategic coordination and strengthen the capacity to jointly address security threats.”

SOURCE BBC