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Former Ghana's President Jerry Rawlings on Monday emphasised the need for coordination among members of the international community in their support to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia .
A statement in Addis Ababa by the AU Mission for Somalia (AMISOM) said Rawlings, who is the AU High Representative for Somalia, made the call in Mogadishu when AMISOM handed over 33 military vehicles to the Somali National Army.
Rawlings said the support needed by the TFG was especially in the area of training of Somali security forces.
He urged the Somali security forces to ensure high standards of discipline, protect human rights especially for the disadvantaged people living in IDP Camps particularly women and children.
``TFG soldiers should fully respect and protect human rights and those that commit human rights violations and abuses should be removed from the military and held to account’’, he said.
Rawlings also charged the TFG leadership to resolve disputes emanating from the convening of the elders’ conference and work closely to ensure that end of transition tasks were implemented in accordance with set deadlines.
The statement said the vehicles handed over to the TFG included 16 Magirus Trucks, four Hilux Pickups, six Land Cruiser
Pickups, one Water Tanker and six Water Trailers which donated by the U.S. Government as part of its contribution to rebuilding the Somali National Security Sector.
Presenting the vehicles on behalf of AMISOM, Amb Boubacar Diarra, Deputy Special Representative, thanked the U.S.
Government for the donation which he said would go along way in complimenting the international effort towards the rebuilding of a national army for Somalia .
``The donation comes at a time when the Somali National Army with support of AMISOM is making tremendous gains in the drive to defeat Al Shabaab terrorists.
The vehicles will provide the much needed logistical support to them as they continue to liberate new areas as well as improving security for the Somali people in the liberated areas’’, Diarra said.
Speaking when he received the vehicles on behalf of the TFG, Abdulwahab Khali, Deputy Prime Minister of Somalia, said the donation would help reduce the challenge of logistical support, especially transportation of troops, which the Somali National Army faced for a long time.
