A visiting African Union and United Nations (AU-UN) delegation completed up its weeklong assessment tour of Somalia this weekend, after evaluating progress made by the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), in the implementation of specified tasks, stipulated in the Somalia Transition Plan.
The AU-UN delegation travelled to the port city of Kismayo in Jubbaland State; and Jowhar, the administrative capital of HirShabelle State this week, to assess the reconfiguration of AU troops, in line with the Transition Plan.
The troops have played a significant role in cushioning the Federal Member States from Al-Shabaab insurgency, since setting up base in the regions.
“The objective of our visit is to discuss with AMISOM military, police and civilian components, the progress made in the past year, assess the implementation of the Transition Plan; and the recent UN Security Council Resolution on Somalia,” Vincent Pasquini, the Team Leader of the visiting delegation said.
Mr. Pasquini, who is from the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) and the Department of Peace Operations (DPO), noted that the delegation made an assessment of the transition activities being undertaken by military contingents from Troop Contributing Countries to AMISOM, and their interface with the Somali National Security Forces. The countries include Uganda and Burundi among others.
While in Jowhar, the delegation held closed-door consultations with senior Burundi military officials, to understand the magnitude of the challenges facing their troops. Captain Melance Nkengurutse, the Spokesperson for the Burundian troops said discussions with the delegation was centred on operational issues and joint operations between the AU troops and the Somali National Army.
Before their departure from Somalia, the visiting delegation is expected to hold consultative talks with the Federal Government of Somalia, AMISOM leadership, the UN and international partners, on various issues; among them the implementation of the recommendations contained in the AMISOM Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) report; and the political and security situation in the country, ahead of the one-person, one-vote elections, due in 2020/2021.