The African Union (AU) and United Nations missions in Somalia have reaffirmed their support for Somalia’s state-building process, the AU mission said on Wednesday.
Mohamed El-Amine Souef, head of the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), and Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, head of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) visited Kismayo, a town in southern Somalia, where they met UN and ATMIS personnel to discuss ongoing offensive against the al-Shabab terrorist group, security and political issues.
Souef urged the 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.
“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 fighting against al-Shabab militants. Today, people can live safely,” he said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.
“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,” Souef added in his address to the mission’s staff based in Kismayo.
He noted that the successful re-establishment of state authority by the Somali government was a result of the collaborative efforts of the Somali leadership, ATMIS, the UN and other key international partners.
The AU envoy requested the personnel to support the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions 2628, 2670 and 2687 which mandates ATMIS to assist Somali security forces in gradually taking over security responsibilities ahead of the mission’s exit from Somalia in December 2024.
The visit by the two officials came at a time when the ATMIS and its partners are preparing to conduct a joint technical assessment on phase one of the ATMIS troop withdrawal which was concluded in June.
The findings will inform the second phase which requires the ATMIS to withdraw another 3,000 troops by the end of September. During phase one, the ATMIS withdrew 2,000 troops and handed over six military bases to the Somali security forces.
Kacyira, on her part, said the UNSOS will continue to mobilize resources to support ATMIS troops in degrading al-Shabab 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 are upheld.”
