https://en.sputniknews.africa/20240203/au-committed-to-completing-withdrawal-from-somalia-by-the-end-of-2024-official-says-1064907285.html
AU Committed to Completing Withdrawal From Somalia by the End of 2024, Official Says
AU Committed to Completing Withdrawal From Somalia by the End of 2024, Official Says
Sputnik Africa
The AU official's statement came at the end of a five-day visit by a delegation from the organization to the East African country to define the conditions for... 03.02.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-02-03T11:54+0100
2024-02-03T11:54+0100
2024-02-03T12:06+0100
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The African Union remains committed to a timeline for the withdrawal of peacekeepers from Somalia, which calls for the force to be out by the end of 2024, Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, Director of Conflict Management in the AU Commission's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said in a statement.He noted that the AU will ensure there is no security vacuum in Somalia as preparations begin for Phase Three drawdown of a further 4,000 troops by June.The official added that the African Union will "show flexibility" and address any challenges that may arise to ensure a smooth transition and to ensure that there are no security gaps.According to the statement, the delegation visiting Somalia should present a report to the African Union Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council outlining the parameters of the security configuration after the withdrawal of ATMIS in January 2025.Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2670, which directs the mission to transfer security responsibilities in agreed areas to Somali security forces, ATMIS completed the first phase of its drawdown in Somalia by the end of June 2023, withdrawing 2,000 peacekeepers, and handing over six bases to Somali forces.ATMIS was supposed to withdraw another 3,000 troops by the end of September, but the Somali government asked the UN Security Council to delay the withdrawal for three months, citing security risks. As a result, the second phase of the withdrawal ended on Friday.The Somalia-based radical Islamist group al-Shabaab*, which has close ties to the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda*, has been waging an armed insurgency against the central government of Somalia since the mid-2000s.* al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda are terrorists groups banned in Russia and many other countries.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20231122/somali-president-says-nation-has-a-year-to-wipe-out-al-shabaab-militants-1063723659.html
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somalia, east africa, terrorist attack, african union transition mission in somalia (atmis), african union (au), al-qaeda, military, security
somalia, east africa, terrorist attack, african union transition mission in somalia (atmis), african union (au), al-qaeda, military, security
AU Committed to Completing Withdrawal From Somalia by the End of 2024, Official Says
11:54 03.02.2024 (Updated: 12:06 03.02.2024) The AU official's statement came at the end of a five-day visit by a delegation from the organization to the East African country to define the conditions for a smooth transition of security responsibilities from the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to the country's security forces.
The African Union remains committed to a timeline for the withdrawal of peacekeepers from Somalia, which calls for the force to be out by the end of 2024, Alhaji Sarjoh Bah, Director of Conflict Management in the AU Commission's Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, said in a
statement.
He noted that the AU will ensure there is no security vacuum in Somalia as preparations begin for Phase Three drawdown of a further 4,000 troops by June.
"We absolutely remain committed to ensuring that, number one, we stick to the timelines of the drawdown. Of course, we’ve had two extensions in the last two drawdowns. And so, except in situations of force majeure, we remain determined and resolute in ensuring that by 31st December 2024, we will have completed the drawdown," Bah pointed out.
The official added that the African Union will "show flexibility" and
address any challenges that may arise to ensure a smooth transition and to ensure that there are no security gaps.
"We want to ensure that the configuration, whatever it looks like, whatever its posture, whatever its mandate, is informed by a very comprehensive security assessment that focuses on the threats and other variables. This will allow us to then determine the strength, the mandate, the posture, the composition, and the overall architecture that will replace ATMIS," Bah noted.
According to the statement, the delegation visiting Somalia should present a report to the African Union Peace and Security Council and the UN Security Council outlining the parameters of the security configuration after the withdrawal of ATMIS in January 2025.
Pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2670, which directs the mission to transfer security responsibilities in agreed areas to Somali security forces, ATMIS completed the first phase of its drawdown in Somalia by the end of June 2023, withdrawing 2,000 peacekeepers, and handing over six bases to Somali forces.
ATMIS was supposed to withdraw another 3,000 troops by the end of September, but the Somali government
asked the UN Security Council to delay the withdrawal for three months, citing security risks. As a result, the second phase of the withdrawal ended on Friday.
The Somalia-based radical Islamist group al-Shabaab*, which has close ties to the international terrorist organization al-Qaeda*, has been waging an armed insurgency against the central government of Somalia since the mid-2000s.
* al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda are terrorists groups banned in Russia and many other countries.
