Somalia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abukar Osman, emphasized the importance of aligning the future security arrangements after the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) with the needs and aspirations of the Somali people.
In his address to the UN Security Council on Thursday, he welcomed input from key international partners but underscored that the formation of the next mission should be primarily driven by Somalia’s own priorities.
This approach reflects Somalia’s commitment to ensuring that any international support is tailored to the country’s specific security requirements and long-term stability goals.
The post-ATMIS era kicks off on January 1, 2025.
ATMIS is expected to have pulled out its entire force from the East African nation by December 31 this year.
Thus far, it has been carrying out gradual withdrawal of its troops from Somalia since last year.
It has also handed over more than six forward operating base (FOBs) in different parts of the country to the Somali National Army (SNA).
Recently, it emerged that the multinational AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) will take over from ATMIS from the start of next year.