More than 5,000 UPDF peace keepers serving under the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia have received refresher training on child protection, most especially in conflict areas.
The one week training was organized by Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces Directorate of Human Rights in conjunction with Save the Children, a non-governmental organization.
The Director of Human Rights in the UPDF and leader of the training team, Col Deo Karikona visited troops as far as Barawe which is 209 Kilometers South West of the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
According to Karikona, the refresher training was aimed at re-equipping commanders and militants on the need to protect children, especially in military operational areas, as well as bridging the gap between theory and practice in a military theatre.
The deputy head of the training team, Ssozi Ssesanga who is also the Chief Instructor at the Singo – based Peace Support Operations Training Center in Nakaseke district, applauded the UPDF leadership for putting emphasis on the protection of children during military operations. END
