Somalia: African Union Transition Mission in Somalia Military Commanders Meet Over Troop Withdrawal From Somalia

6 August 2023
The Independent (Kampala)

Kampala — Top military commanders of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) met to evaluate the first phase of ATMIS troop withdrawal from Somalia, which was successfully implemented in June.

The meeting held in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, was attended by contingent commanders of the five troop-contributing countries; Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Burundi. It was chaired by ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding.

"We discussed a wide range of issues, including the general security situation and the threats posed by Al-Shabaab and came up with resolutions to be implemented by the respective sector commanders," said Lt. Gen. Okiding at the end of the meeting.

ATMIS withdrew 2000 soldiers from Somalia at the end of June and handed over six Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to the Somali Security Forces (SSF) in line with the UN Security Council Resolutions 2628, 2670 and 2687.

"We also discussed the transition in detail, mainly phase one drawdown and its impact as well as our capacity and capabilities for subsequent operations," added Lt. Gen Okiding.

The meeting conducted under the theme, "Enhancing Synergy Towards Implementation of ATMIS CONOPS," also discussed the upcoming phase two withdrawal of 3000 ATMIS troops, which is expected to be completed by the end of September.

Read the original article on Independent (Kampala).

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