A multinational force will take over from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) at the end of the year.
Hussein Sheikh-Ali, the National Security Advisor to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, confirmed this in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) Somali on Friday.
Sheikh-Ali stated that discussions on the composition of the force are still ongoing.
However, he indicated that the force would comprise military personnel from Somalia, the African Union, and the United Nations.
The multinational force will be much leaner. According to Sheikh-Ali, the force is likely to consist of 3,000-8,000 soldiers.
Somalia will offer an equal number of personnel to work with the multinational unit.
Thereafter, the Somali contingent will have 12 months to take over all responsibilities from the multinational force. The takeover would be gradual.
