Saturday December 9, 2023

Somalia and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have vowed to intensify military operations to flush out al-Shabab militants following the lifting of a 31-year-old United Nations arms embargo on the country.

MOGADISHU, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — Somalia and the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have vowed to intensify military operations to flush out al-Shabab militants following the lifting of a 31-year-old United Nations arms embargo on the country.

African Union Special Representative for Somalia and ATMIS Head Mohamed El-Amine Souef and Somali Minister for Information, Culture and Tourism Daud Aweis said in a joint statement issued in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, Thursday evening that the lifting of the embargo would give fresh impetus to the fight against al-Shabab and other armed groups in the country.

The removal of the arms embargo by the UN Security Council marked a significant moment in the evolution of Somalia’s security and acts as a catalyst for the ongoing transition of security responsibilities from ATMIS to the Somalia security forces, Souef said.

Aweis said the lifting of the embargo would enable Somalia to build and modernize its armed forces and enhance its capability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Somalia has been struggling with many challenges, including the presence of al-Shabab extremist group linked to the international terrorist network al-Qaida,” he said. “Somalia needs to acquire modern weapons and equipment to effectively fight these threats and secure our borders.”

The minister said public support for the military offensives is already bearing fruit, with the capital Mogadishu enjoying improved safety and security largely because of the close collaboration with the communities.

“We are grateful to the Somali people who have always supported the government and the military, and without them, the good progress made in strengthening the stability of the capital could not have been possible,” Aweis noted.

Souef reiterated the ATMIS commitment to the transition and drawdown process, ensuring the pan-African body’s mission fulfills its mandate while providing support for ongoing operations. “We recognize the importance of balancing the drawdown with the need to maintain other vital operations.”

Souef and Aweis, who held a joint press briefing in Mogadishu, reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing military offensive against al-Shabab and ensuring a smooth transition ahead of the start of the second phase of the ATMIS troop drawdown.

ATMIS said it will withdraw an additional 3,000 troops from Somalia from next week in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2710 by Dec. 31.

Mogadishu, December 7, 2023 – The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Federal Government of Somalia on Wednesday said the lifting of the 31-year UN arms embargo on Somalia would give fresh impetus to the fight against the Al Shabaab and other armed groups in Somalia.

The African Union Special Representative for Somalia and Head of ATMIS, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, and Somalia’s Minister for Information, Culture and Tourism Daud Aweis, told a joint press briefing the decision by the UN Security Council was a game changer in the ongoing offensive operations against Al Shabaab.

“This marks a significant moment in the evolution of Somalia’s security and acts as a catalyst for the ongoing transition of security responsibilities from ATMIS to the Somalia Security Forces. It is an important step in enhancing the operational capabilities of the Somali Security Forces, enabling them to combat Al-Shabaab more effectively,” Amb. Souef told journalists in Mogadishu.

ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding and other Senior ATMIS and Federal Government officials also attended the media briefing.

Minister Aweis said the lifting of the embargo would enable Somalia to build and modernise its armed forces and enhance its capability to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Somalia has been struggling with many challenges, including the presence of extremist group Al-Shabaab linked to the international terrorist network Al-Qaeda. Somalia needs to acquire modern weapons and equipment to effectively fight these threats and secure our borders,” he said.

The two officials reaffirmed their commitment to the ongoing military offensive against the Al-Shabaab and ensuring a smooth transition ahead of the start of the second phase of the ATMIS troop drawdown. From next week, ATMIS would withdraw an additional 3,000 troops from Somalia in compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2710 by 31 December 2023.

“I want to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to the transition and drawdown process, ensuring we fulfil our mandate while also providing support for ongoing operations. We recognize the importance of balancing the drawdown with the need to maintain other vital operations,” said Amb. Souef.

“An operation carried out by the national army with the help of international allies in the village of Hilow Bacaad, 80 km south-west of Halgan in Hiiran region has confirmed the killing of 60 terrorists. The SNA and the local forces have also carried out operations in Bakool, Galgadud, Hiran and Middle Shabelle regions,” added Minister Aweis.

The Minister said public support for the military offensives is already bearing fruit with the capital Mogadishu enjoying improved safety and security largely because of the close collaboration with the communities.

“We are grateful to the Somali people who have always supported the government and the military and without them the good progress made in strengthening the stability of the capital could not have been possible,” he noted.

To mitigate the adverse effects of the El Nino induced floods, Amb. Souef said ATMIS forces, in collaboration with the Somali National Army are carrying out various emergency interventions, including evacuation of people marooned by floods and distribution of food and non-food items to affected families. At least, 1.5million people have been displaced and more than 100 killed due to the flooding.

Jowhar, 7 December 2023– Working collaboratively with the Federal Government of Somalia and the Federal Member State of Hirshabelle, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has provided relief support to about 600 households in Hirshabelle State, affected by the El Nino-induced floods.

On Wednesday, ATMIS Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Planning Major General Marius Ngendabanka, handed over essential food and non-food items to representatives of the Federal Government and Hirshabelle State officials in the state capital, Jowhar.

The supplies will now be distributed to six Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps hosting families displaced by a combination of El-Nino floods and Al-Shabaab militants.

“We are here today to hand over life-saving food and non-food items to alleviate the suffering of IDPs and vulnerable populations affected by El Nino floods in the ATMIS area of responsibility to support and augment the efforts of the federal government and member states,” declared Maj. Gen. Ngendabanka.

“Many of the displaced and relocated people need critical assistance to survive. ATMIS facilitates humanitarian access to the local population as part of its mandate to bring peace and stability to Somalia,” he added, affirming ATMIS’ commitment to support the Somali people during the humanitarian crisis.

The items acquired with support from the Italian government comprised essential foods, including rice, wheat flour, sugar, beans, and oil, and non-food items, including blankets, plastic sheets, mosquito nets, and buckets.

ATMIS Sector Five Commander, Maj. Gen. Jean Claude Niyiburana noted that the supplies would go a long way to cover the essential needs of the IDPs.

“This event comes at a critical moment when the humanitarian situation is alarming. The population has been displaced almost everywhere in our sector, particularly along the Shabelle River, due to the floods caused by the El Nino phenomenon”.

Omar Mohamed Gabow, the Hirshabelle Deputy Minister of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, who received the donation, termed it a timely demonstration of the excellent working relations with ATMIS.

He appreciated ATMIS and the Italian government for their generous support.

“I would like to thank ATMIS and the Italian government for delivering this timely humanitarian donation, which will help us mitigate the impact of climate change and El Nino induced floods in Somalia and Hirshabelle State. I urge other humanitarian agencies to provide us with emergency support to assist our people,” said the deputy minister.

Abdullahi Aden, the Deputy Commissioner of Refugees and IDPs Commission, who represented the Federal Government, said the El Nino floods had exacerbated the existing climate change and security-related crises.

“We appreciate your continued support and solidarity with Somali people during the hard times. With the help of ATMIS, we have achieved many things, such as security and dealing with humanitarian issues,” noted Aden.

The El Nino-induced flooding has caused significant disruption in the Hirshabelle region, leaving many homeless, destroying vital infrastructure, and cutting off access to Main Supply Routes (MSRs).

At least 2.4 million people across Somalia have been affected by flooding and other effects of the El Nino phenomenon. Some 1.5 million people have been displaced, and over 100 lives have been lost.