Somalia, ATMIS Forces Plan Joint Operations Against Al-Shabab

MOGADISHU, Xinhua – Some 26 officers from the African Union (AU) Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Somali Security Forces (SSF) have completed five days of training on planning and coordinating joint operations against al-Shabab, the AU mission has said.

Sivuyile Thandikhaya Bam, deputy special representative of the chairperson of the AU Commission to Somalia, said the training for Joint Operations Centers (JOC) staff, which concluded Sunday evening, provided officers with critical skills for effective operations to achieve the mission’s strategic objectives.

“This training is essential in managing coordination and communication challenges, which are the vital aspects of JOC operations. It will also ensure the prompt transfer of information for mission operations,” Bam said in a statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

He called on the officers to diligently and professionally discharge their duties to achieve the mission’s mandate.

The JOC, launched in October 2022, plays a vital role in enhancing cooperation among the allied forces and other partners, ATMIS said. These centers are part of a wider strategy to prepare the Somali forces to assume full security responsibility once the AU mission concludes.

Marius Ngendabanka, acting ATMIS force commander, said the training will enhance the officers’ skills and promote interaction between ATMIS troops and the SSF.

Al-Shabab is a militant Islamic rebel group mainly operating in conflict-wracked Somalia but has also been implicated in terrorist attacks in several other East African countries.