ATMIS members commend ‘successful offensive’ against Al-Shabaab

Members of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) have hailed Somalia security forces’ “successful offensive operations” against Al-Shabaab.

This came in a communique on Friday following an extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of Troop Contributing Countries to ATMIS and Federal Republic of Somalia held in Entebbe on Thursday.

We commend “the efforts of the Somali Security Forces along with the Local Community Forces in the successful offensive operations against Al shabaab” and call “for the continued mobilization of Local Community Forces in the fight against Al shabaab,” the communique read.

Presidents Hassan Sheikh Mohamud (Somalia), Yoeri Museveni (Uganda), William Ruto (Kenya), Ismael Omar Guelleh (Djibouti), Évariste Ndayishimiye (Burundi) and Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia Demeke Mekonnen were present.

The communique also welcomed Somalia’s initiative “to take full ownership and leadership of Somalia’s Stabilization Strategy” which is said is a testament of Mogadishu’s ability “to restore State authority and provide basic public goods and services in liberated areas.”

The Summit also discussed the mission’s drawdown procedures as its mandate is set to end by December 2024 while also reiterating its call to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) “to consider lifting the arms embargo on Somalia to enable the country shoulder her security responsibilities.”

Mohamud’s administration has made several calls to the UNSC to lift the arms embargo it placed on the country since 1992, which will boost its efforts to rid the country of Al-Shabaab terrorists.