The deputy Prime Minister of the Federal Government of Somalia Salah Jama who is in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Sunday met with Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix on the sidelines of the AU’s 37th summit.
In a statement on his X handle formerly Twitter, Deputy Prime Minister said that they discussed security matters including ATMIS troops drawdown and advancing State building process.
Jama added that enhancing and bolstering the ongoing war against Al-Shabaab militant group also featured prominently in the discussions.
” Pleased to have met with Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations @Lacroix_UN at the sidelines of the 37th session of the @AfricanUnion. Engaged in insightful discussions covering security matters, including ATMIS drawdown, combatting Al-Shabaab, and advancing the state-building process.”said the deputy prime minister.
The United Nations supports Somalia’s peace and stability through the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia ( ATMIS) that has significantly dealt a major blow to the terror group in several areas across the country.
ATMIS, with logistical support from the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), announced the completion of the Phase Two drawdown in early this month.
The drawdown involved reducing the troop count by 3000 soldiers. ATMIS transferred seven Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and closed two others.
ATMIS is operating under a UN calendar, is set to completely withdraw from Somalia by the end of the year and hand over security responsibilities to the Somali government forces in line with the United Nations Security Council resolution.
