AU forces in Somalia hand over a military base to national army

MOGADISHU, Somalia - As part of compliance with the Somali Transition Plan [STP], the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] soldiers have handed over a key Forward Operating Base to members of the Somali National Army [SNA], ending the 11-year dominance at Maslah.

On Saturday, ATMIS handed over Maslah Forward Operating Base in line with Concept of Operations [CONOPs] which were developed by the United Nations and the African Union to guide the transition process in Somalia. It is envisaged that the foreign troops will leave Somalia in the next three years.

AU representative to Somalia Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef and Somalia’s State Minister for Defence, Abdinur Daahir Fidow attended the ceremony held in the capital, Mogadishu.

“Today is a proud moment for us as a Mission. Maslah is the first facility to be handed over by ATMIS since its inception on 1 April 2022, following the end of the AMISOM mandate,” the SRCC said at the ceremony attended by top Federal Government of Somalia officials, envoys and representatives of the UN and troop-contributing countries [TCC’s].

Burundi contingent which has been manning the base has departed, handing over the base to the Somali National Army early this year. Ambassador Souef emphasized the key role the FOB has played in securing the capital, Mogadishu, and facilitating the Mission’s military operations.

“Geographically it has also enabled our troops to secure the major supply route [MSR] connecting Mogadishu and the hinterland hence ensuring the safe and secure movement of goods and services which is important for both economic and social development of this country,” he observed.

Somalia's state defense minister noted that the handing over came at the right time when Somalia is showing prowess in the fight against Al-Shabaab who control large swathes of rural central and southern Somalia. The militants have, however, surrendered on many fronts following the operations.

“Huge military gains have been achieved in the past few months and we are keen to double the current efforts and count on your support in eradicating the Al-Shabaab,” Mr. Fidow said, reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the transition process.

On his part, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia [UNSOS] Director Amadu Kamara lauded the stakeholders for making the process a success despite numerous challenges, ATMIS noted.

“The success of the handover of Maslah, within the restrictive timelines and other constraints, is a testament to the will of the Somalia Government to succeed in force generation and facilitating new offensive operations,” said Mr. Kamara.

Brig. Gen. Peter Omola, the Acting ATMIS Force Commander, noted that the base has been instrumental in the fight against Al-Shabaab while acting as an important buffer for many other frontlines.

“I have no doubt that our SNA brothers who have taken over the FOB are equal to the task ahead of them. ATMIS forces remain ready to partner with SSF [Somali Security Forces] in furtherance of core security ideals in the Hirshabelle region and Somalia in general,” Brig. Gen. Omola said.

The Commander of the ATMIS Burundi contingent, Brig. Gen. Jean Claude Niyiburana thanked the local community in Maslah for their support over the years adding that his troops will continue playing their part in the stabilization process.

“The Burundi contingent is committed to collaborating with all partners to establish peace and security in Somalia” Brig. Gen. Niyiburana.

The SRCC announced that the Mission is implementing a comprehensive plan that will address conservation issues and ensure the respect of the environment in its activities. “Going forward we will prioritize good environmental practices in all our military operations.

As a bold step we are going Green in all our FOBs by using environmentally friendly technology to power our water and energy needs,” Ambassador Souef said.

GAROWE ONLINE