The Somali government announced a new military operation to replace the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), which will withdraw by the end of this year. National Security Adviser Hussein Sheikh-Ali disclosed that a contingent of 12,000 troops from various African countries will temporarily take over the responsibilities of ATMIS.
“Under the leadership of the Somali government, A smaller African force is set to replace ATMIS. The government is currently in the process of deciding which countries will contribute to this new contingent, which is expected to number 12,000 troops”, Sheikh-Ali told Somalia’s national broadcaster SNTV.
Sheikh-Ali added that 10,000 troops will assume the primary responsibilities currently handled by ATMIS, while the remaining 2,000 will perform supplementary tasks.
The announcement has raised concerns among several African nations, who fear that Al-Shabaab could gain control of Somalia following the withdrawal of ATMIS. The new operation, involving both Somali forces and the smaller African contingent, aims to prevent such an outcome.
Sheikh-Ali says the details of the contributing countries and the exact timeline for the deployment are still being finalized by the Somali government.
