MOGADISHU (SD) – The top leadership of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the Federal Government of Somalia, and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) jointly announced that the second phase of the withdrawal of AMISOM troops from Somalia is set to begin in December.

According to UN Security Council Resolution 2710 (2023), AMISOM is to reduce its forces in Somalia by 3,000 soldiers and complete the withdrawal by the end of December 2023. The withdrawal was initially planned to be completed by September 2023, but it was postponed following a request from the Federal Government due to security concerns.

The Head of AMISOM, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, accompanied by the Deputy National Security Advisor of Somalia, Hussein Sheikh Ali, and the Head of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), held discussions on this matter at Villa Somalia.

Ambassador Souef highlighted that since the suspension of the withdrawal in September, AMISOM, the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS), and UNSOS have worked collaboratively to devise strategies for the continuation of the drawdown as directed by the UN Security Council and the African Union Peace and Security Council.

Deputy National Security Advisor Hussein Sheikh Ali confirmed that the FGS is committed to ensuring a phased and well-timed withdrawal. He also mentioned that the Somali Security Forces (SSF) are ready to take over the responsibilities of the vacated AMISOM bases.