The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has officially handed over six stations to the Federal Government of Somalia, namely Haji Ali, Mirtiquo, Adale, Albao, Gherille, and Al Jazeera 1.
In an event that took place on Thursday in Mogadishu, the transfer letter was signed by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Council and the Head of ATMIS, Ambassador Souef Mohamed Elamine and the Adviser to the Commander of the Somali Defense Force (CDF). G. High. Ahmed Mohamed Ahmed.
The head of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), the Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations, Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, and the Minister of Defense of Somalia, Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor, signed aid materials donated by UNSOS to the XFS. These materials include Electric Motors, Water Purifiers, Solar and other materials at the transferred stations.
Director of the Conflict Management Department of the Department of Politics, Peace and Security of the African Union – Dr. Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, who came to Somalia for a short visit and spoke at the handover ceremony, said that the handover ended successfully. six stations and the reduction of 2,000 ATMIS soldiers is historic.
Dr. Bah thanked all the partners involved in this matter such as DFS, United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) and ATMIS, for their cooperation and ensuring that it was completed on time.
“This is a time for all of us to be proud of, and we must reflect on the progress made, especially the Somali Security Forces (SSF) who are gradually taking over the responsibility of security in full,” he added.
Dr. Bah affirmed the African Union’s commitment to ensuring an efficient process for the transfer of security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces (SSF).
“I want to reiterate the commitment of the African Union to ensure an efficient and effective transition process, which does not compromise the security of the Somali people and the achievements we have achieved in the last 16 years. past,” he noted.
The Minister of Defense of Somalia, Abdulkadir Mohamed Noor, noted that the transfer of responsibility coincided with significant achievements in the war against Al-Shabaab last year.
“Many of our comrades took a big risk when they sent troops to Somalia ten years ago. The risk they took has yielded positive results, and Somalia’s progress is clear. “The security forces of Somalia have increased their power, but we need more support from the development partners to reach our goals,” said the Minister.
“The operation of ATMIS is important for the development of Somalia, and their presence is important at this time when Somalia is moving to the second round of taking over the general security of the country,” the minister added.​​
He reminded everyone that after the Kampala conference earlier this year, significant progress has been made in the implementation of the first phase of the reduction of troops. He reiterated the DFS’s commitment to the implementation of the new United Nations Security Council Resolution 2687 (2023) which calls for Somalia-led operations against Al-Shabaab, including road security. important.
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Somalia, Catriona Laing, commended DFS, CXDS and ATMIS for successfully completing the first phase of the reduction, and called for a joint assessment before the second phase. reduction.​
“We need to make an honest assessment of the successes and challenges of the first phase in order to plan for the next phase,” says Laing.
The event was attended by the ambassadors of the countries where troops are stationed in Somalia, friends of the international community, officers from the XDS and ATMIS forces.
