Troops serving with the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) are taking part in a two-week training programme focused on psychological and integrated influence operations.

The training, being held at AUSSOM Force Headquarters in Mogadishu, is designed to improve the ability of mission personnel and partner forces to understand and conduct influence operations in Somalia.

The programme forms part of a knowledge-sharing initiative aimed at building operational capacity and helping partners respond more effectively to propaganda and hostile narratives associated with Al-Shabaab.

Opening the training, AUSSOM Sector One Commander Brig Gen Jackson Kayanja encouraged personnel from across the mission's sectors to take an active role in the programme and contribute to developing a common understanding of psychological and integrated influence operations.

Brig Gen Kayanja said modern influence operations must extend beyond activities conducted on the battlefield. He stressed the importance of addressing information, perceptions and narratives, while also understanding how these factors can affect human behaviour and contribute to mission objectives.

The training is also expected to improve cooperation between personnel working in different parts of AUSSOM.

Lt Col Patrick Amaru, the Chief Military Officer at Force Headquarters, said the programme would help strengthen teamwork and professional relationships among personnel from different sectors and areas of expertise.

Military and police personnel from various AUSSOM sectors are participating in the course, bringing together officers with different professional backgrounds and operational experiences.

The programme is being delivered by instructors from the United States Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF). The involvement of the instructors is part of the broader effort to facilitate knowledge exchange and enhance AUSSOM's capabilities in psychological and integrated influence operations.

The training comes as AUSSOM continues efforts to strengthen the capacity of its personnel and partners to address the information and narrative dimensions of Somalia's security environment.