Photo By Staff Sgt. Miguel Pena | U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Parker VanDeVenter, assigned to Civil Affairs Team (CAT) 142,...... read more read more
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We recognize international Human Rights Day Dec. 10 in remembrance of the UN adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. At Special Operations Command Africa (SOCAFRICA), we strive to uphold human rights in all we do alongside our partners across the continent. We focus on protecting human rights not just because it is the right thing to do, but also because doing so makes us more effective over the long term in countering the forces of chaos such as violent extremists and malign actors.
Successful campaigns require military forces to uphold international and human rights laws. If they do not, those forces lose credibility and then combat effectiveness. War, sadly, is a human endeavor and not simply a contest of weapons and technology. Therefore, to be successful, we must maintain our honor and reputation as a credible force.
These ideas of rights, credibility, and effectiveness are why we enforce standards of human rights – both for ourselves and when engaging with partners. In any training we provide, one of the earliest lessons covered is the law of armed conflict, which helps protect human rights. During our annual exercise, Flintlock, we incorporate lessons on human rights, the law of war, due process, and civil engagement as part of our overall approach to countering extremism.
While no country or force can claim perfection in protecting human rights, we absolutely expect accountability when those rights are violated. Throughout our own history, we have failed numerous times. Conflict is confusing and sometimes people choose poorly – but that does not excuse those choices. Regardless of the reason, we have processes in place to hold accountable bad actors and bad processes in accordance with international law. With our partners, we have the same expectation.
Many of our partners across Africa face instability and violent extremism. Some international bad actors and extremist groups advocate for an unrestricted approach to suppress violent extremism. We advise against listening to these uninformed and short-term approaches. Military action alone cannot defeat violent extremism. While safety & security are important factors in combating terrorism, governance and prosperity are even more important. Those two conditions can only exist under a credible and stable society led by a trusted government – trust built by credible security forces under the government’s control.
On this international Human Rights Day, SOCAFRICA salutes our partners across the continent as they fight on the front lines against violent extremism on behalf of the global community. In this fight, they are also the front line in protecting human rights. In their service, they will be faced by difficult choices and may choose poorly from time to time. However, our sincere hope is that they hold themselves accountable, learn from their mistakes, and continue to be our strong partners as we fight together to make our citizens’ future a safer place.
We thank all our partners across Africa. It is an honor to serve alongside you.
| Date Taken: | 12.10.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 12.10.2021 06:53 |
| Story ID: | 410874 |
| Location: | STUTTGART, BW, DE |
| Web Views: | 140 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Human Rights as an Operational Necessity, by Maj. Andrew Caulk, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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