Mogadishu, 02 July 2022—To encourage awareness and action to protect the environment from degradation and pollution, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has launched a monthly tree planting and environmental preservation exercise, which will take place in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, and across sectors under ATMIS’ responsibility.
ATMIS Force Commander, Lieutenant General Diomede Ndegeya, who presided over the launch ceremony on Saturday in Mogadishu, said all those who live and work in Somalia have an obligation to do live sustainably in harmony with the environment.
The Force Commander said that in executing its duties, ATMIS places the importance of protecting Somalia’s environment at the core, as this is crucial to the country’s long-term development and well-being.
Tied into this is the growing awareness of the impact of climate change, particularly its connection to land degradation, which, in turn, is closely linked to desertification, drought and climate shocks.
“We need to plant more trees to protect the environment in which we live and operate. It is yet another way to help combat recurrent droughts in Somalia, which have caused food insecurity and affected millions of livelihoods,” said Lt. Gen.Ndegeya.
Somalia is currently one of the most severely drought-impacted country in the Horn of Africa. Some 4.5 million Somalis are directly affected by the drought, and about 700,000 people have been displaced by the effects of the drought.
Since 1990, Somalia has experienced about 30 climate-related hazards, over 12 droughts and 18 floods – three times more the number of climate-related hazards experienced between 1970 and 1990. In 2017, a severe drought left Somalia on the verge of famine and in 2019, a delayed and erratic rainy season resulted in the poorest harvest since the 2011 famine and flooding.
While addressing a contingent of officers serving under the ATMIS, the Force Commander lauded the team for participating in the exercise by planting trees, collecting plastics, and general clean-up of the environment.
This launch follows last month’s World Environment Day activities, where ATMIS
personnel took part in cleaning up the beach in Mogadishu and planting trees in different locations of the Halane Basecamp, as well as in Forward Operating Bases across Somalia.
Saturday’s clean-up launch was attended by several high-ranking officers, including AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen. William Kitsao Shume and the Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics, Major General Gerbi Kebede Regassa.
