Kismayo, 2 August 2023 – The Head of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, on Monday visited Kismayo where he met with ATMIS and United Nations personnel to discuss ways of bolstering support to Somalia’s state-building process.
“Somalia has made great progress, and that progress is due to the collaborative work with ATMIS and the UN in terms of improving security and fight against Al-Shabaab militants. Today, people in Somalia can live safely,” said Ambassador Souef.
The Head of ATMIS made the remarks during a joint working visit to Jubaland State, alongside the Head of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), Assistant Secretary-General Aisa Kirabo Kacyira.
The two officials were accompanied by ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, Police Commissioner Hillary Sao Kanu, and other Senior UNSOS and ATMIS officials. The delegation was received by Mr. Abdirahman Abdi Ahmed – Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of Jubaland State, and discussed ongoing offensive against Al Shabaab, Security, Political and the relationship between FMS, ATMIS and UNSOS.
The visit comes at a time when ATMIS and its partners are preparing to conduct a joint technical assessment on phase one of ATMIS troop withdrawal which was concluded in June 2023.
The findings will inform the second phase which requires ATMIS to withdraw another 3,000 troops by end of September 2023.
During phase one, ATMIS withdrew 2000 troops from Somalia and handed over six Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to the Somali Security Forces (SSF).
While pointing out the milestones made so far in stabilising the Horn of Africa country, Ambassador Souef noted that the successful re-establishment of State authority by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) was a result of the collaborative efforts of the Somali leadership, ATMIS, the United Nations and other key international partners.
He urged UN and ATMIS personnel to continue to provide specialized training and knowledge transfer to Somalia’s public servants to help increase the number of skilled personnel in various sectors.
“I would like to remind you that we are here for a good cause to support the people of Somalia. Whatever we do, we should put their interests first,” said Ambassador Souef in his address to the Mission’s staff based in Kismayo.
Highlighting the successful implementation of phase one drawdown, the AU Special Representative requested the personnel to support the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions 2628 and 2670 (2022) and 2687 (2023) which mandates ATMIS to assist SSF in gradually taking over security responsibilities ahead of the Mission’s exit from Somalia in December 2024.
In her remarks, Dr. Kacyira said UNSOS will continue to mobilise resources to support ATMIS troops in degrading Al-Shabaab during the transition period.
“We are cognisant that the threat is still real and, therefore, we want to ensure that as the drawdown continues, we will also continue to support to ensure that peace and security is upheld,” she noted.
The Head of UNSOS who was on her maiden tour of Jubaland State reiterated that UNSOS will continue to provide logistical support to ATMIS and SNA during joint military operations.
Lt. Gen. Okiding said the purpose of the visit was to enhance coordination between ATMIS, the United Nations and Somali authorities.
“We shared vital information with Jubaland officials mainly on security and explored new areas of cooperation,” said the Force Commander.