May 14, 2023 (SD) – The African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has announced that the initial withdrawal of 2000 soldiers will be completed by June 30, 2023, reaching a significant milestone in the security transition plan.

The move is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2628 and 2670, which call for ATMIS to reduce its troop numbers by 2000 by June of this year while maintaining the security gains made by the Somali National Army and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Ambassador Souef Mohamed El-Amine, said that a joint technical team of experts from the Federal Government of Somalia, the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), and ATMIS has been established to coordinate the handover of responsibilities, including the transfer of assets and equipment.

El-Amine, who visited the ATMIS Sector Five Headquarters in Jowhar, said that while the mission was reducing its troop numbers, the Somali security forces would increase their presence in the areas vacated by AMISOM.

The Force Commander of AMISOM, Lieutenant General Tigabu Yilma Wondimhunegn, who accompanied El-Amine on the visit, said that the handover process was being done in consultation with the Somali security forces.

AMISOM’s mandate is to support Somali security forces and the Somali federal government in their efforts to create a stable and secure environment, one in which the people of Somalia can enjoy peace dividends, including the provision of basic services such as food, water, and health care.