The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has officially announced plans to withdraw its troops from Somalia by mid this year.
This comes after the United Nations Security Council unanimously endorsed the African Union’s commitment to adopt a strategic, gradual, and sector-by-sector approach to the troop drawdown while maintaining the ATMIS exit date of 31 December 2024 under Resolution 2670 (2022).
Troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda have been contributing soldiers and resources to the ATMIS mission.
Before the withdrawal, there will be a meeting of officials from these troop-contributing countries in Kampala to assess the Somali Security Forces and their preparedness to take over security responsibilities from the African Union troops. The meeting will consider key aspects such as force generation and logistical support.
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), a multidimensional mission comprising military, police, and civilian components, was authorized by the African Union and mandated by the United Nations Security Council under the AU Peace and Security Council Communique for 1068th Meeting and UN Security Council Resolution 2628 (2022).
It was established to execute the Somali Transition Plan (STP) and replace the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which had previously been working on the same mandate.
The success of ATMIS during its operational period since 1 April 2022 has been admirable in the promotion of peace, stability, and security in Somalia. The Somali Security Forces have also been gaining strength and increasing their capabilities, which bodes well for the future of the country.
As the ATMIS troops prepare to withdraw and hand over the security responsibilities to Somali Security Forces, the international community continues to provide support to ensure the success of the Somali Transition Plan (STP).
The withdrawal of the ATMIS troops is a significant milestone that signals the confidence the international community has in the Somali Security Forces and the progress that has been made towards peace and stability in Somalia.
