By Jane B. Mansaray.
The Contingent mandate of the African Union Mission (AMISOM) in Somalia will come to an end this year.
This was disclosed at a two-day closed-door meeting held on the 24th August, 2021 in Mogadishu, for Mission assistance beyond 2021.
The closed-door meeting was a follow up on the African Union (AU) and the Federal Government of Somalia signed agreement held on 19th August 2021, on the likely configuration and proposed mandate of the AU support to Somalia beyond December 2021.
Acting Director of Conflict Management at the Political Affairs, Peace and Security Department of AU in Addis Ababa, Ms. Fiona Lortan led the AU and AMISOM team at the negotiations for AMISOM replacement come January 2022.
“We know that there is still a need for some sort of security presence from the AU to assist the Somalia Government in the next few years while it builds up its Forces; and so, we have been discussing what the new mission should look like, and what the mandate of the new mission will be”, Ms. Fiona Lortan added.
According to Colonel Ahmed Mohamed of the Somalia National Army, the government has signed an important agreement for Somalia, which now kick starts the transition period.
“It is a step by step process that will be implemented in piecemeal, and we will gradually exchange roles with our African brothers and sisters who have been helping us for some time now”, Ahmed Mohamed said.
The signing of the agreement was witnessed by the European Union Deputy Head of Delegation to Somalia, Nicole Miller, and the Deputy Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Somalia, Mary Shockledge.
Lortan went on that discussions between the two parties would continue into the future with a focus on consolidating the security gains made by AMISOM over the years.
Following the meeting with the Federal Government of Somalia, Ms. Fiona Lortan visited AMISOM Force Headquarters to brief the Military and Police components of AMISOM on the new development.
The following persons; Sivuyile Bam, AU Head of Peace Support Operations (PSOD) and AU Chief of Operations and Planning, Brigadier General Michael Kabango joined Ms. Lortan to the visit at the AMISOM Force Headquarters.
