Amid technical pause, AU troops hand over another base in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] has yet again handed over another Forward Operating Base [FOB] to the Somali National Army [SNA], despite the recent decision by the African Union to technically pause the withdrawal of ATMIS troops from the country.

At the United Nations, the government of Somalia requested a technical pause on the withdrawal of ATMIS troops, citing logistical challenges. The request has since been granted after the African Union halted the withdrawal of 3,000 soldiers from various contingents in the Horn of Africa nation.

But on Wednesday, ATMIS announced the handing over of Raga Ceel FOB to the Somali National Army, who are supposed to take full security responsibility from ATMIS in December 2024, once foreign troops are withdrawn. Somalia believes that by then, Al-Shabaab would have been completely neutralized.

According to ATMIS, soldiers attached to Raga Ceel will now join other contingents across the country in the fight against Al-Shabaab. The troops are from Burundi, one of the major security partners of Somalia, a country that has struggled with instability for the last three decades.

"ATMIS today handed over the Raga Ceel FOB in Middle Shabelle to the Somali Security Forces. The handover is part of troop redeployment by both ATMIS and the Federal Government of Somalia [FGS] to boost military operations against Al Shabaab in Hirshabelle State," ATMIS said.

"The ATMIS Burundi troops will now be redeployed to other regions to boost security in view of the three-month drawdown pause requested by the FGS.

The handover ceremony was facilitated by UNSOS and attended by senior military officials from ATMIS and SNA Force."

ATMIS intended to withdraw a total of 6,000 soldiers from Somalia by the end of this year, with the remaining to leave by December 2024. However, the ongoing crackdown against Al-Shabaab across the country may delay the projections given ATMIS's role in covering up SNA soldiers.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud traveled to Baidoa, the regional administrative capital of Southwest state on Wednesday, where is he supposed to assess the ongoing operations against Al-Shabaab. A full military operation is yet to be activated in the state and the neighboring Jubaland.

Already, the European Union has delivered military equipment including vehicles to the Somali National Army to enhance their capabilities in the ongoing war against the Al-Shabaab Al-Shabaab militants. This good gesture comes at the time Somalia is fighting for the lifting of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council.

GAROWE ONLINE