DJIBOUTI ( Halbeeg News)-The Somali government has the capacity to take over the responsibility of its country from the troops of African Union Mission In Somalia (AMISOM), Djibouti president said.
Djibouti president Ismail Omar Gueleh has commended Somali government for its efforts to rebuild Somali military.
“Somalia has the ability to take the security responsibility of its territory. The progress that the government achieved so far is a reliable and maintaining peace in Somalia simple this time,” Guelleh said.
The president said AU troops have helped Somalia to reach a stage to have its own military.
Guelleh dispelled concerns that the country may not be prepared to take on the task.
“I think, this is the time right time that Somalia could be given the responsibility, the country would have not depended on troops from foreign countries for forever,” he said.
The process of handing over the responsibility of some forward-operating bases to the Somali national army has already begun.
AMISOM has developed a conditions-based transition plan, to transfer the national security responsibility from the AU troops to the Somali security forces guided by the rule of law and respect for human rights.
The first batch of withdrawal was done on a pro-rata basis, with Uganda with the highest number of troops (6,223) withdrawing 250, followed by Burundi’s 5,432 troops which released 217.
Ethiopia with 4,395 troops shed off 176, Kenya’s 3,664 released 146 and Djibouti with the least number of 1,000 troops released 40.
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