STORY: AMISOM and partners launch Somalia Civil-

Military Working Group Report

DURATION: 2:40
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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
thenewsroom@auunist.org
CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/ NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 07/SEPTEMBER/2017, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Medium shot of the Somali Civil-Military working group report launch banner
2. SOUNDBITE: JUSTIN BRADY: HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE
COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (UNOCHA)
Today we are having a launch of a civil-military coordination report, the
work being done between humanitarian actors as represented by OCHA
and AMISOM. The report puts together a lot of the work that has been
done over the past year under the country specific guidelines that were
developed by OCHA and AMISOM to guide the relationship of humanitarian
actors and military units in the field.

3. Wide shot of participants in the meeting room.

4. Medium shot of some of the participants in the meeting
5. Medium shot of two participants in the meeting
6. Close up shot of one of the participants in the meeting
7. Medium shot of two participants in the meeting
8. SOUNDBITE: SIMON MULONGO; DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION (DSRCC) FOR
SOMALIA
When we have a Civil-Military Working Group coming up to reconsider
what should be the best way of relating between the military and the
humanitarian agencies, it is a very welcome gesture, whose formation must
be taken very seriously.

9. Wide shot (panning from left to right) of participants in the meeting room.
10. Close up shot of one of the participant in the meeting room.
11. Medium shot of participants in the meeting room.
12. Wide shot of participants in the meeting room.
13. Medium shot of two participants in the meeting
14. SOUNDBITE: SIMON MULONGO - DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION (D/SRCC) FOR
SOMALIA
 The increasing number of humanitarian actors who are operating in this
Mission requires that AMISOM and OCHA (Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs) have effective working relations. On our part, we are
confident that such joint efforts will help us not only understand our
similarities but also resolve the differences.

15. Wide shot of the participants in the meeting room.

16. Medium shot of some of the participants in the meeting
17. Wide shot of the participants in the meeting room.
18. Medium shot of the participants in the meeting room.
19. SOUNDBITE: JUSTIN BRADY; HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE
COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (UNOCHA)The past nine
months has shown that we are not just in a typical protracted crisis in
Somalia but rather we have shifted into a famine prevention mode and that
is where the relationship with the military has become more important so
that we can ensure the delivery of very vital supplies into areas that are not
always accessible in order to assist communities stave off potential
famine.

20. Wide shot of the participants in the meeting room

21. Medium shot of the participants in the meeting room
22. Medium shot of the participants in the meeting room
23. SOUNDBITE: JUSTIN BRADY; HEAD OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR THE
COORDINATION OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS (UNOCHA)
We are not out of the woods yet. We still have way to go. Perhaps we
have reduced the areas that are in harms way of potential famine but the
threat still exists and we will continue to seek to deliver the scaled up
manner, and that will require coordination with the military actors.

24. Close up shot of the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the
African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, and the
Head of UNOCHA in Somalia, Justin Brady.
25. Wide shot of the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the
African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, and the
Head of UNOCHA in Somalia, Justin Brady, with other participants posing for
a group picture.

STORY:

AMISOM and partners launch Somalia Civil-Military Working Group Report

Mogadishu, 8 September 2017 - The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)

and its partners yesterday launched the Somalia Civil-Military Working Group Report
that details achievements made in humanitarian support in the past three years in
the country.
The report, jointly produced by AMISOM and United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), will also help guide future
humanitarian operations as Somalia moves to establish structures for quick disaster
response.

Speaking at the launch on Thursday, the Deputy Special Representative of the

Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo,
hailed the cordial relationship between AMISOM and humanitarian agencies, saying
it has helped improve coordination in delivering much needed aid to local
communities.

When we have a Civil-Military Working Group coming up to reconsider what should

be the best way of relating between the military and the humanitarian agencies, it is
a very welcome gesture, whose formation must be taken very seriously, DSRCC
Mulongo stated at the function attended by senior AMISOM officials,
representatives of UN agencies and members of the diplomatic corps.

Mr. Mulongo noted that the ever changing dynamics in Somalia and the rise in
number of humanitarian actors, calls for even greater coordination between the
military and humanitarian agencies, to ensure aid gets to areas hard to access.

The increasing number of humanitarian actors who are operating in this Mission
requires that AMISOM and OCHA have effective working relations. On our part, we
are confident that such joint efforts will help us not only understand our similarities
but also resolve the differences, the DSRCC explained

The Head of United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(UNOCHA) in Somalia, Justin Brady, noted that since the focus of humanitarian
agencies in Somalia is shifting to famine prevention, improved relations with the
military is imperative, if aid is to reach impoverished communities in hard to reach
areas.

The past nine months has shown that we are not just in a typical protracted crisis in
Somalia but rather we have shifted into a famine prevention mode and that is where
the relationship with the military has become more important so that we can ensure
the delivery of very vital supplies into areas that are not always accessible in order to
assist communities stave off potential famine, he noted, adding that though success
has been recorded, a lot still remains to be done.

Mr. Brady warned that Somalia was not out of the woods yet in relation to the
famine threat, saying the country was still in need of assistance which requires
coordination between humanitarian agencies and the military.

We are not out of the woods yet. We still have a long way to go. Perhaps we have
reduced the areas that are in harms way of potential famine but the threat still
exists and we will continue to seek to deliver in a scaled up manner, and that will
require coordination with the military actors, Mr. Brady pointed out.

Apart from detailing the progress made, the report calls for the development and
compliance to Somalia Country Specific Humanitarian Guidelines to help in tackling
future humanitarian crises.

According to the report AMISOM, with the support and guidance of the Civil-Military
Working Group (CMWG), demonstrated it could play an effective role in facilitating
humanitarian access through the use of Mission assets as last resort, ensuring
assistance reached people in need.

The report notes that a challenging operating environment like Somalia requires
close cooperation and coordination with state authorities, donors and humanitarian
partners.

In 2014, AMISOM and the UN, following thorough deliberations with humanitarian
partners signed and endorsed the Somalia country specific humanitarian civil-
military guidelines for humanitarian actors engagement with AMISOM. The country
specific guidelines govern relations on civil-military coordination in Somalia.

Ends