MOGADISHU, Somalia – The Somali Army chief, Ibrahim Sheikh, met with AU military officials to discuss ways to speed up the ongoing all-out war on Al-Shabaab militants.
The talks also touched on the betterment of the cooperation between SNA and ATMIS forces in the battle against the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group, according to a statement.
In addition, both sides talked about the ATMIS troop drawdown, which began in June last year with 5,000 soldiers pulled out of the country in two phases in June and December.
In phase two, ATMIS transferred seven Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) to the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and closed two others.
The FOBs transferred include State House and Parliament from ATMIS Uganda People’s Defence Forces in Sector One; Bio Cadale, Raga Ceel, and Qorillow from ATMIS Burundi National Defence Forces in Sector Five; Burahache from ATMIS Kenya Defence Forces in Sector Two; and Old Airport from ATMIS Ethiopia National Defence Forces in Sector Six.
The FOBs in Sarille and Old Kismayo Airport were closed – both were from ATMIS Kenya Defence Forces in Sector Six and Two respectively.
ATMIS reaffirmed the African Union’s unwavering commitment to Somalia’s Transition process, emphasizing that the African Union stands ready to support ongoing efforts towards achieving lasting peace, security, and stability.
