(12-05-23) MOGADISHU – A critical meeting was held at the joint operation headquarters in Mogadishu between the federal government of Somalia and the frontline countries, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Djibouti, to discuss strategies for accelerating the fight against the Al-Shabaab group. The second phase of this war will see increased cooperation between the involved parties to weaken the group’s power in Somalia.
The attendees of the meeting included General Mohamed Ali Barise, commander of the joint operation force; Mohamed Abdi Waare, the special envoy of the President in charge of stabilization and protection of civil affairs in war zones; Amb. Thomas Chepkuto, Kenyan ambassador to Somalia; and officers of the XDS army and the Kenyan army.
This meeting follows several recent gatherings in Mogadishu involving military officers from Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya.
The participants discussed how the joint operation will be executed by the forces of the frontline States, providing support to Somalia’s forces as previously agreed upon by their leaders. In February, a summit in Mogadishu hosted by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud saw the leaders of Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Kenya agreeing to “jointly plan and organize an operation to search and destroy” Al-Shabaab.
Ethiopia has already taken the first steps to implement the agreement by sending troops to Somalia. Djibouti and Kenya will also contribute additional troops to join those already in the country as part of the ATMIS operation.
These forces will work alongside the Somali government forces in the ongoing war against Al-Shabaab, focusing on areas that have been liberated from the group. The presidency has previously announced that these forces will “jointly plan and operate with the command of the Somali security forces.”
As the second phase of the war commences, the independent ATMIS forces from frontline countries will join the Somali government forces to combat Al-Shabaab, providing much-needed support to local communities affected by the conflict.
© Halqabsi News
