MOGADISHU (Halbeeg News) – African Union will carry out plans re-organise its troops in Somalia ahead of the drawdown of 1,000 troops from the Burundi contingent next month.
In a statement on Thursday, head of African Union Mission in Somalia, Francisco Madeira said the mission is seeking to re-organize its troops and the Somali National Army (SNA).
Madeira hinted that the troops from the mission and forces from Somali government will carry out offensives against Al-Shabaab fighters in Southern Somalia.
“It was crucial for the allied forces to carry out joint military operations to flush out al-Shabab militants in the Horn of Africa nation,” the statement reads in part.
The AU envoy noted that the transition was on course, citing the handover of the Mogadishu National Stadium in August last year and ongoing preparations by AMISOM to relinquish control of Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy in Mogadishu to the Somali Security Forces by the end of February.
“The transition is about supporting governance institutions in a robust and effective way to ensure peace and security in Somalia,” Madeira told a security meeting in Mogadishu, according to a statement issued by AU mission on Thursday.
“It is important for AMISOM and SNA to undertake joint military operations to flush out al-Shabaab,” Madeira stressed during the meeting which discussed modalities for joint implementation of the AMISOM Concept of Operations (CONOPS), a framework for AMISOM’s exit strategy.
The CONOPS, which aims to provide a structure for AMISOM operations from 2018 to 2021, provides an effective framework for implementation of the AU troops’ gradual transition and final exit from Somalia.
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