Heads of State Summit of the Troop Contributing Countries to ATMIS Statement of H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud
State House, Entebbe, Uganda
April 27th, 2023
H.E. Yoweri Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda
H. E. Évariste Ndayishimiye, President of the Republic of Burundi
H. E. Dr. William Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya
H. E. Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of the Republic of Djibouti
H. E. Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Ethiopia
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure and privilege to be here today to address you all on behalf of Somalia.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the brotherly state of Uganda led by his excellency president Yoweri Museveni for the warm welcome and hospitality my delegation and I received during this important visit.
I would also like to express my deep and very sincere appreciation to the African Transition Mission in Somalia and all our partners for their unwavering commitment and support in the fight against terrorism. We can be proud of the fact that, together, we have accomplished much and have demonstrated that African solutions are the key to addressing our common African problems.
In Somalia’s pursuit of a peaceful and stable future, you have all been indispensable in providing us with your time, resources, and the lives of your sons and daughters. We honour this ultimate sacrifice and we assure you that this will go in vain.
As you all well know, since 2007, AMISOM and later ATMIS has been a fundamental partner in the fight for peace and stability in Somalia. AMISOM was born out of necessity during a period of heightened conflict and has been vital in degrading Al-Shabaab, expanding humanitarian access, supporting political transition, training Somali security forces and saving lives. Without a doubt, Somalia will not have made the progress it has in building institutions, increasing economic activities and establishing the rule of law without the determined efforts of ATMIS and all our other international partners.
In fact, the drawdown of ATMIS that we are witnessing today is a direct reflection of the progress we have made together in building a more stable and secure Somalia with a stronger security apparatus ready to protect our nation and people. I am hopeful we will continue to work together towards further advancing this vision.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The ongoing support from ATMIS to implement the AU and the federal government of Somalia Concept of Operations continues to remain important in the fight against Al-Shabaab. We are now at a critical juncture of accelerating our joint efforts to eradicate Al-Shabaab and bring an end to their criminal, brutal and destabilizing activities in Somalia and across the region.
To defeat Al-Shabaab on a permanent basis, we have adopted a whole government approach which centres on regaining territory from them, cutting off their financial supply lines and challenging their hateful and criminal ideology which distorts the beautiful religion of Islam practiced across all our countries. This strategy is proving to be effective, and, as a result, we are making steady progress.
The Somali National Armed Forces together with local communities supported by ATMIS and international partners, continue to conduct successful operations against Al-Shabaab leading to the recent recovery of many towns and villages. Since August 2022, nearly 600km of ground in 75 towns and villages in the regions of Hiraan, Middle Shabelle, Mudug, and Galgaduud have been re-liberated with the support of the motivated and courageous local communities.
I am sure you will all agree that this is an inspirational success story which must spur us on to greater victories in our objective to defeat international terrorism and secure Somalia’s future for its people.
Key to the current successes against Al-Shabaab, the Federal Government of Somalia adopted 3-tier approach to combat them. To comprehensively annihilate this evil and morally reprehensible group and consign them to the dustbin of history, THEY MUST BE MILITARILY, IDEOLOGICALLY, AND ECONOMICALLY DEFEATED. Alongside fighting Al-Shabaab on the ground, we have cut off Al-Shabaab’s financial sources through targeting various financial chains, including 3,000 accounts that have now been seized. Ideologically, we have mobilized prominent Islamic scholars and local communities across Somalia to publicly reject Al-Shabaab and raised awareness through media campaigns targeting the negative ideology showcasing the Un-Islamic character of Al-Shabab, now known as Khawaarij or those outcasts from the true faith of Islam. This new comprehensive approach is delivering real results which are hastening the demise of Al-Shabaab.
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are working tirelessly to build a well-trained, equipped, and united armed forces to transition security responsibilities from ATMIS by end of 2024, beginning with the first drawdown of 2000 ATMIS forces by June 30th. We are generating the necessary Somali forces and we expect to have them fully trained by the end of this year. Our commitment is evident and our armed forces have demonstrated courage and determination to defeat the enemy time and again.
However, we are facing immense challenges in procuring military hardware due to the current Arms Embargo. This is having a real negative impact on conditions in the battlefield as we need better weapons and greater firepower to move forward quickly and effectively. In this final push WE MUST acquire weapons that can provide decisive success in the battlefield.
We need the assistance of all our valuable partners and supporters of peace and stability in Somalia and the region to mobilize for the cause of lifting the Arms Embargo at this critical juncture.
On reflection, though the gains we have made together are significant, we are not without challenges. Accordingly, we need to, and must, increase the logistical support provided by United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) to the Somali armed forces and extend the scope to reflect the realities on the ground. As we move closer to transition, we need to build the capacity of our forces to conduct operations independently and manage logistical support. This requires strengthening the crucial cooperation between UNSOS and Somali institutions.
We also recognize the financial gaps and draw down needs faced by ATMIS and we urge our international partners to extend their support.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Together, we must sustain the gains made against Al-Shabab. This will require enhanced support from our partners as we make this final push to eradicate them out of Somalia and the region. Our frontline states who face the risk of defection from Al-Shabab at their borders will be joining our forces in this final push and preparations are under way for their participation in this historic cooperation on counter terrorism in our region. This calls for a well-coordinated military operation by the Somali National Armed Forces, ATMIS and non-ATMIS troops from frontline states. I am confident that together, WE ARE NOT JUST UP TO THE TASK BUT WE CAN AND WILL ACHIEVE A HISTORIC VICTORY.
In conclusion, we must continually remind ourselves of how far we have come together in our fight against Al-Shabaab. We have genuinely made progress which is having a positive impact on the people of Somalia’s developmental future and this is a testament to the power of unity and collaboration among TCC nations, AU and our international partners.
While the drawdown of ATMIS is a significant milestone in our journey towards a stable, peaceful and prosperous Somalia, we are not there yet. Overcoming the challenges we face to ensure a smooth transition require our continued commitment and collective dedication.
As we make this final push to eradicate Al-Shabaab from Somalia and the region, we must remain steadfast in our efforts and work together with renewed determination. Our success will not only benefit Somalia but will also contribute to regional and global peace and stability. Accordingly, I urge all our valuable partners to continue their unwavering commitment to Somalia and to support us at this critical juncture of change and hope.
I would like to acknowledge and welcome the outcome from the technical and ministerial level discussions and I thank you for your hard work and deliberations this past week.
I thank you all for your kind attention and I look forward to discussing ways to further strengthen our continued cooperation and collaboration in the pursuit of peace and stability in Somalia, the region and the world at large.
I thank you all,
