UN, AU agree to reinforce operational efficiency in Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia - A five-day conference to guide activities and operations of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) from 2019 to 2021 has concluded in Mogadishu, with new agreements reached upon to guide the activities of the mission.

One of the key outcomes of the conference, which was attended by senior AMISOM and the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) staff, was the development and approval of a support implementation matrix which will ensure efficient delivery of logistics to enhance the operational efficiency of the mission.

The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, highlighted the importance of efficiency in delivering logistics, especially now that mission was in the process of implementing its revised Concept of Operations (CONOPs) and the Somali Transition Plan (STP).

“This is a very important conference in which we were looking at the logistics of our mission. As you know, logistics is very critical. We cannot overemphasize this point. Without a clear logistics system and supply chain management line to our activities and our operations, there is no way we can succeed,” Mulongo said.

Mr. Clark Toes, the UNSOS Chief of Service Delivery, expressed optimism from the process and called for teamwork from all stakeholders to ensure the success of the mission.

“We have to understand that there are limitations on what we can do. We need to manage our expectations however most importantly we need to work together so we can be efficient and get things done,” Mr. Clark Toes explained.

CONOPs outline the main activities to be undertaken under the Somali Transition Plan when AMISOM is expected to exit and hand over security responsibilities to the Somali Security Forces by 2021.

Andrew Alele, AMISOM Engineer and Conference Coordinator, noted that key objectives of the conference had been met, explaining that the developed matrix matches activities and responsibilities with timelines which will ensure efficient and seamless delivery of logistics.

“We came up with a Support Implementation Matrix from 2019 to 2021. We will be reviewing it periodically to assess where we are with our support. We had outcomes on tasks for AMISOM and UNSOS. The matrix also has outcomes on how we are going to support our operations innovatively,” Mr. Alele explained.

Several participants were pleased with the conference, noting that it was timely and extremely beneficial.

“It (conference) has been fruitful. It has given us an opportunity to understand the Memorandum of Understanding in our logistics support and the opportunity to discuss the challenges we are facing in the field. We are optimistic about the way forward,” said Superintendent of Police, Naomi Simi.

Major Evans Wanjala, said that the conference had deepened their understanding of their knowledge concerning logistics supply, especially the enabling frameworks that guide operations.

“It’s been a very useful discussion over the past couple of days. We concluded with clear actions and this will enable us to achieve our mandate as AMISOM,” Maj. Wanjala explained.