A high-ranking group from the African Union Commission has finished their evaluation visit to Somalia, affirming their commitment to maintaining the valuable progress made in stabilizing the region before the withdrawal of AU peacekeeping forces.
Led by Cheick Dembele, head of the Peace Support Operations Division, the delegation assured Somalis of a seamless handover of security responsibilities after the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) departs in December.
“We must handle this transition professionally to prevent any security gaps and safeguard the achievements made during our 17-year presence,” stated Dembele in Mogadishu on Sunday evening.
A tripartite committee involving ATMIS, the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), and the Somali government will oversee the transfer of security duties to Somali security forces to ensure a smooth process, according to the statement.
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The delegation’s goal was to perform a strategic assessment to plan for the shift of security duties from ATMIS to Somali forces and establish a post-ATMIS African Union-led peace support operation.
Following their visit, the delegation will deliver a detailed assessment and plan report to the AU Peace and Security Council to lay out the framework for the post-ATMIS security setup.
“The Peace and Security Council will review our mission report, presenting a strategic concept of operations to guarantee a seamless transition to the new mission without disruptions,” Dembele explained.
ATMIS has already completed two phases of troop reduction, withdrawing 5,000 soldiers and turning over 13 military bases to Somali security forces. An additional 4,000 troops are set to leave by June, in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2710 from 2023.
Plans are in place to deploy a post-ATMIS force to safeguard vital population centers, UN sites, and key government buildings.