The commander of the multinational frontline coalition, General Mohamed Ali Barise, presided over a meeting on Friday at the Joint Operations Center in Mogadishu, aiming to speed up operations against al-Shabab.
The meeting was attended by key figures, including the Special Presidential Envoy for Civilian Protection and Stabilization, Mohamed Abdi Ware, Kenyan Ambassador to Somalia, Thomas Chepkuto, and military representatives from Kenya and Somalia.
The envoy shared his thoughts on Twitter, saying, “Together with Task Force Commander MajGen Barise, we had the pleasure to welcome His Excellency Thomas Chepkuto, Kenyan Ambassador to Somalia, at the Joint Operations Center. We reiterated the importance of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and civilian protection to Somali National Army (SNA) and Kenyan Defense Force (KDF) officers.”
This follows a summit hosted by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud on February 1st in Mogadishu, where leaders from Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti agreed to dispatch additional troops to aid Somali forces in their fight against al-Shabab during the next stage of military actions.
The national security advisor to the Somali president clarified that these new troops would not be part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
The start date for the second phase of the operation remains under discussion.
