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ATMIS boss lauds Federal Government’s efforts in stabilizing Somalia  

Storyline:National News

GOOBJOOG NEWS | NEW YORK: African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) head and the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) Souef Mohamed El-Amine.

In his address to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), El-Amine highlighted the achievements made through the close collaboration between ATMIS and the Federal Government of Somalia in restoring peace and stability in Somalia and the region.

He noted that the collaborative efforts has seen Al-Shabaab militants dislodged from over 70 locations across Somalia in the ongoing offensive led by the Somali Security Forces (SFF), and supported by ATMIS and other international partners including the United States.

Ambassador El-Amine underscored ATMIS’ increased mentoring activities to the Somalia National Army (SNA) and the Somali Police Force in preparation for the ongoing drawdown exercise in line with UN resolutions 2628 (2022) and 2670 (2022), which mandates ATMIS to handover of various Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to Somali security forces.

Already, ATMIS has handed over Marka Ayub FOB on June 18, Xaaji Caali on June 20, Mirtquo on June 22, Albao on June 25, Cadale on June 27, Aljazeera 1 on June 28, and Gherille on June 30.

Continued assistance

Ambassador El-Amine however emphasized the need for a collective agreement on the role ATMIS will continue playing during and after the drawdown noting the importance of a successful transition process.

On the issue of the arms embargo on Somalia the ambassador emphasized that the Somali forces require sufficient resources to effectively combat Al-Shabaab and stabilize recently liberated regions, and hence called for the lifting of the arms embargo on Somalia to enable the provision of necessary support.

In addition to security concerns, Ambassador El-Amine highlighted the urgent need to address the adverse effects of climate change in Somalia, expressing concern over the alarming rate of floods and droughts ravaging parts of the country.

He noted that these environmental challenges have resulted in the displacement of approximately 1.4 million Somalis, with women and children being the most affected.

  • By Fauxile Kibet