The African Union peacekeeping mission is to withdraw 3,000 troops from Somalia, where the first batch of 2,000 peacekeeping troops left the country earlier in June as part of the Somalia Transition Plan (STP).
The Somalia Transition Plan is a comprehensive guide developed by the Federal Government of Somalia and its partners to the transfer of security responsibility to Somali National Security Forces ahead of AMISOM’s anticipated exit in 2024.
Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, the Force Commander for ATMIS, told journalists in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, that troops will move out of Somalia by the end of September.
“ATMIS will continue to collaborate closely with the Somali government, the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), and other partners to facilitate a smooth transition of security responsibilities to Somali Security Forces,” Okiding said.
He continued to assure the Somali government that they will continue to work with them till the end to win its war against the al-Shabaab terror group.
Al-Shabaab remains capable of carrying out massive attacks in Somalia and nearby countries, despite a long-running African Union offensive against the Islamist terrorist group.