MOGADISHU (SD) -The Minister of Defense of the Federal Government of Somalia, Mr. Abdulkadir Mohamed Nur, has provided further details to government media about the final phase of the ATMIS mission.

The Minister stated that the Somali National Army has taken over more than 27 bases across the country from the ATMIS peacekeeping mission and expects to take over the remaining bases soon.

The Minister also discussed the new AUSOM mission, which is set to commence after this year. He mentioned that technical preparations are underway for the latest operation, which is expected to start at the end of December 2024.

“We are in ongoing discussions regarding the new mission with the African Union, the United Nations, and other supporting agencies. There has been controversy, particularly concerning the Ethiopian government, which has yet to withdraw from the illegitimate agreement regarding Somalia’s maritime boundary. If Ethiopia does not reverse this stance, they will not participate in the new mission, and other countries will fill their place,” added the Minister.

The Somali National Army is prepared to implement the new plan after December 2024, once the ATMIS mission concludes. Meanwhile, they are also conducting operations aimed at eliminating the Al-Shabaab group.