Somalia leader backs army to take over from African Union
A handout image made available by the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) on October 5, 2014, shows soldiers belonging to the African Union Mission in Somalia, marching along the top of a hill overlooking the al-Shabab stronghold of Barawe , in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia, 200 kilometres (120 miles) southwest of Mogadishu. PHOTO/FILE/AFP
What you need to know:
- The Somali army, in alliance with clan militias, has been supported by troops from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).
The Somali army will be ready to take over from African Union forces when they leave the country in 2024, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud said at a talk in London on Tuesday.
Mohamud highlighted "encouraging" results achieved in an offensive, currently paused, against the radical Islamist group Al-Shabaab.
The offensive against the al-Qaeda affiliated group, which has been waging an insurrection against the Somali authorities for 16 years, has made notable progress since its launch in August 2022, but has stalled in recent months.
The Somali army, in alliance with clan militias, has been supported by troops from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) in recapturing vast areas of the territory, notably in the centre of the country.
ATMIS -- made up of troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda -- was due to begin a second phase of withdrawal in September, with the departure of 3,000 soldiers. But the Somali government requested and obtained a three-month postponement.
"It just coincided with a time that we have some setback and we have been struggling to reorganise," he told the London conference organised by the Royal United Services Institute think tank.
"But now we are ready," he said, adding the country was "good to take over" in December 2024, the current target.
Asked about further delays his government might make between now and then, the president insisted "we will not" as troop numbers grow.
"In 2024 as gradual drawdown is going on, we also be generating more forces and building more."
"We are very much comfortable that we will take over the responsibility of the security of the country," added the leader, who was in London to attend a summit on global food security.
President Museveni(left) leads President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud of the Federal Republic of Somalia with his delegation on his arrival in Uganda at State House Entebbe on March 19, 2023. PHOTO/ PPU
He stressed his government's determination to launch a new phase of the offensive in the southwest and in the state of Jubaland, the historic Al-Shabaab stronghold.
"The status of the fight against Al-Shabaab is encouraging. I believe that we will defeat Al-Shabaab military soon," he said.
However, he warned that eliminating radical Islamist ideology would take longer, particularly in areas long under the group's control.
The government largely controls the cities, including the capital Mogadishu, but Al-Shabaab are still present in large areas of the south and centre of the country.
