African Union mission hands over 21 bases to Somali forces

By Mohamed Dhaysane

BAIDOA, Somalia (AA) – The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) completed the handover of 21 military bases to the Somali national army, marking the official end of the three-phase troop withdrawal process, the mission announced late Thursday.

The peacekeeping mission has withdrawn a total of 9,000 troops from Somalia in preparation for a new UN-backed AU peacekeeping mission in the country.

The Burgavo Forward Operating Base in Jubaland State is the "last base to be transferred to the Somali National Armed Forces," the mission said in a statement, referring to the base located on Somalia’s southern coast, 530 kilometers (329 miles) from the capital Mogadishu.

The base is controlled by the Kenyan Defense Forces and “has played a vital role in countering Al-Shabaab’s influence and securing the critical Burgavo-Ras Kamboni Main Supply Route,” the statement added.

The new AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, which will replace the current mission, is set to begin in January.

The transfer of the bases represents a significant move toward Somalia assuming full responsibility for its security, a process that occurs amid ongoing inter-clan violence and the challenges posed by climate change.

The UN reports that inter-clan violence in northern, central, and southern Somalia, driven largely by disputes over grazing land, has displaced thousands and severely disrupted livelihoods in the affected areas.

Additionally, many regions have not received the expected rains, typically arriving in October and continuing through the end of the year.