Somalia, a country plagued by violence, is seeking a 90-day extension in the planned reduction of African Union troops. This request comes after experiencing “various significant setbacks” in its fight against Al-Shabaab militants.
The national security adviser of Somalia wrote a letter to the United Nations, specifically requesting a delay in the second phase of troop withdrawal, which involves the departure of 3,000 troops by the end of September.
The authenticity of this request was confirmed by a senior government official who spoke to Dalsan media. The letter highlights the government’s achievements in reclaiming towns, villages, and vital supply routes since launching the offensive.
However, it also acknowledges the setbacks suffered since late August, including an attack on its forces in the central Galguduud region and subsequent retreats from several previously captured towns.
Dated September 19, the letter was addressed to Ambassador Ferit Hoxha of Albania, the current President of the UN Security Council. It was signed by Somalia’s national security adviser, Hussein Sheikh Ali. Interestingly, this request comes shortly after ATMIS announced the beginning of the second phase of troop reduction, which aims to see the departure of 3,000 troops by the end of September.
The first phase of troop reduction concluded on June 30, with 2,000 AU troops leaving and six bases being handed over to the Somali forces. Established in April of the previous year, ATMIS has a more aggressive mission compared to its predecessor, AMISOM, which deployed to Somalia in 2007. Prior to the troop reductions, ATMIS consisted of approximately 20,000 uniformed personnel from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
In August of the previous year, Somali troops launched a significant offensive against the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab in central Somalia. This operation involved collaboration with local clan militias and received support from AU forces and US airstrikes. Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group, has been conducting a bloody insurgency for over 15 years in an attempt to overthrow the fragile internationally-backed government in Mogadishu. Despite being driven out of Mogadishu in 2011, the group still holds significant control over vast rural areas.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who assumed office in May of the previous year, has made it his objective to wage an “all-out war” against Al-Shabaab. He recently visited the frontlines and expressed his belief that the government would “eradicate” the jihadists by the end of the current year.
