Mogadishu — Somalia's defence ministry on Sunday chaired consultations to discuss and approve a National Policy on the Protection of Civilians during armed conflict, officials said.

The meeting, led by the ministry's permanent secretary, Abdifatah Abdulkadir Farah, focused on strengthening procedures to safeguard civilians, aligning the policy with international humanitarian law, and ensuring security operations are conducted responsibly, with accountability and full respect for unarmed populations.

Farah stressed the importance of close coordination among government institutions, security partners and civil society stakeholders to ensure a unified policy that can be effectively implemented and serves both national security interests and civilian safety.

Participants included representatives from the ministries of internal security, interior affairs and justice, the Somali National Army command, the Somali Police Force, the Disaster Management Agency, the National Refugee Agency, the Office of the President's Special Envoy for Civilian Protection, and other key stakeholders.

Officials said the policy aims to enhance civilian protection standards amid ongoing security operations across the country.