The United Kingdom has announced an additional £7.5 million in funding to support the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), increasing its total contribution to £77 million since 2021.
This funding will primarily provide stipends for troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda, who are crucial to ATMIS’s mission in securing Somalia.
British Ambassador to Somalia, Mike Nithavrianakis, highlighted the UK’s commitment to Somalia’s security and development.
“By supporting ATMIS, we are not only investing in Somalia’s security today but also in its future stability and prosperity.â€Â He stated.
He also urged the international community to increase support for Somalia’s security initiatives, calling on both traditional and non-traditional partners.
Somalia’s Defence Minister, Abdikadir Mohamed Nur, praised the UK’s ongoing partnership, noting that this funding is vital for supporting ATMIS and Somali security forces. He emphasized the importance of the UK’s role in rebuilding a safer Somalia.
As ATMIS is set to conclude by December 2024 as part of a phased transition, responsibilities will gradually shift to the Somali National Army (SNA) and local forces.
This transition will be followed by the launch of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) in January 2025. AUSSOM will operate with a smaller contingent of around 11,000 troops, focusing on urban security and infrastructure protection, aiming to strengthen Somalia’s capacity to maintain its own security while preventing a power vacuum that could be exploited by groups like al-Shabaab.
