Somalia can assume full responsibility for its security by Dec 2023 - Farmajo

ADDIS ABABA - The Outgoing President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo has endorsed the agreement between the AU technical committee and the federal government of Somalia, which would see a further extension of the African Union Mission in Somalia [AMISOM] mandate.

In March, the mandate of AMISOM would end, a reason which necessitated fresh talks which would bring about the reconfiguration of the force by partnering with the United Nations, an idea which the government had initially rejected.

In an apparent endorsement of the recent agreement with the AU Peace Committee, President Farmaajo told AU meeting in Addis Ababa that the Somali government is determined to take over security responsibilities and has fully prepared to implement the agreement with the AU and the roadmap to assuming security

The agreement between the Somali govt and AUC_PAPS transitions AMISOM into a new mission known as ATMIS [AU Transitional Mission to Somalia]. The Agreement stipulates that Somali security forces will assume security responsibilities by Dec 31, 2023.

ATMIS is set to retain gains made since 2007 but will support objectives and priorities of the Somali Transition Plan. ATMIS will conduct with SNA joint, targeted operations to degrade and “other armed opposition groups.”
ATMIS will consist of military, police, and civilian components.

The agreement further stated that ATMIS is to be headed by a special representative to be appointed by Moussa Faki. New ATMIS force commander will come from the largest contributing country [now it rotates]. Current troop, police-contributing countries to form the basis of ATMIS with possibility for expansion.

Troops Contributing Countries must agree their troops will come under the full operational command of the force commander. Under this set-up, AU will support the federal government to meet the required conditions for lifting the arms embargo. ATMIS sector boundaries to be aligned with SNA Force sector boundaries w focus on operational objectives.

Somali government set a new deadline for SNA Force to provide internal security and assume security responsibilities from ATMIS by Dec 31, 2023, according to the agreement.

The transfer will be gradual, conditions-based, dependent on tangible progress made by the government in the generation of capacity to takeover FOBs.

The transition from AMISOM to ATMIS to take the first 9 months; followed by the conduct of joint decisive operations for another 9 months; and a third 9 months period for decisive simultaneous operations against Shabaab; and finally exit of ATMIS in the last 7 months of the 33 months mission.