African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has on Saturday officially handed over security responsibility of the Presidential Palace in compliance with the UN Security Council Resolution 2710, mandating the drawdown of the 3,000 troops by December 31, contributing to the ongoing Somalia Security Transition.
A contingent of Somali National Army and the Somali special Police Forces are expected to take over the security responsibility of the Presidency Villa Somalia) encompassing the office of the Prime Minister and Parliament House.
African Union Peace Mission officers from the Uganda component have been guarding the State House since 2007.
According to ATMIS, the plan is in line with the previous United Nations resolution which was to gradually transfer the responsibility of the security responsibility to the Somali security forces .
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s National Security Advisor, Hussein Sheikh Ali, attributed the hand over to an important milestone for the Somali Transition Plan, thanking the Uganda’s soldiers for protecting the critical government infrastructure and officials.
The withdrawal of the ATMIS from the Presidential Palace comes a fortnight after after UNSOS and ATMIS jointly announced the resumption of the second phase of drawdown of about 3,000 ATMIS Forces within this December.
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia was formed on 1 April 2022, following the end of the AMISOM tenure on 31 March with a clear mandate to fully implement the Somali Transition Plan (STP).
Amisom, created in 2007 to support the fragile UN backed government in the capital Mogadishu and secure the Horn of Africa Nation from al-Shabaab insurgency has over the one and half decade been crucial to Somalia’s peace and stability after helping the Somali forces drive away the terror group from several key areas including the capital in 2011.
The handover of the security of Villa Somalia and other Forward Operating Bases ( FOB) heralds significant developments and achievement in Somalia’s endeavour towards independent and self-standing nation.
