Somalia: KDF and ENDF praised for commitment in Al-Shabaab war
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Staff reporter GAROWE ONLINE
- Posted On 15-01-2023, 07:54AM
MOGADISHU, Somalia - Troops from the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] and the Ethiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] have been hailed for "consistency" in the war against Al-Shabaab particularly in Middle and Lower Jubba regions where the militants have lost grip in recent months according to multiple reports.
Mohamed El-Amine Souef, the special representative of the African Union Commission Chairman Moussa Faki, noted that the ENDF and KDF contingent in African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] have shown both leadership and commitment around Kismayo and its environs.
Jubaland falls under Sectors II and VI of ATMIS and probably witnessed the most resilient offensive against Al-Shabaab in the early years when the KDF was first reported in Somalia. Under Operation Sledge Hammer in 2012, the KDF managed to liberate Kismayo from the hands of the Al-Shabaab.
During the visit to Kismayo to assess progress made by the soldiers, Mohamed El-Amine Souef met Brigadier General Lukas Kutto, and Jubaland’s Second Vice President, Abdulkadir Haji Mohamud, and other senior state-level officials, for briefings on the security and political situation in the region.
“I had productive discussions with the Vice President and am satisfied we are heading in the same direction with the same commitment – the fight against Al-Shabaab,” Souef said.
He assured the soldiers and regional administration of Puntland of support as the teams push for stability in the Horn of Africa nation. Jubaland, he said, plays an integral role in the promotion of peace and tranquility within the Horn of Africa, particularly along the borders of Kenya and Ethiopia.
“This will be done not only by Jubaland leadership with the Federal Government of Somalia as well as ATMIS. The African Union mission will provide support as mandated by the UN Security Council Resolutions 2628 and 2670 of last year.”
Jubaland Vice President Abdulkadir Haji Mohamud reaffirmed the readiness of his administration to conduct military offensives against the AlShabaab with the support of ATMIS. The AU representative was briefed on the progress made by the soldiers on all fronts from Dhobley to Kismayo.
“We agreed to speed up the fight against the terror group Al-Shabaab and ATMIS has taken a strong position on this issue. We are happy with this and our meeting went well,” Haji Mohamud said.
Currently, KDF has close to 3,500 soldiers in Somalia who are deployed on a rotational basis annually just like ENDF which has close to 4,500 soldiers. It is envisaged that in the coming three years, Somalia would have stabilized and local soldiers taken over security responsibilities from ATMIS.
GAROWE ONLINE
