African Union Transition Mission in Somalia

African Union Transition Mission in Somalia
Hawlgalka Isbeddelka Midowga Afrika ee Somaaliya
LeadersHead of ATMIS Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef
ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma
Police Commissioner Hillary Sao Kanu[1]
Dates of operation1 April 2022 – 31 December 2024
HeadquartersMogadishu
Size14,626 uniformed personnel, inclusive of 1,040 police personnel[2]
Allies Somalia
Opponents Al-Shabaab
Battles and warsSomali Civil War
Preceded by
AMISOM
Succeeded by
AUSSOM
Hillary Sao Kanu, commissioner of Police for ATMIS, hands over a certificate for the completion of training to a police officer from the Somali Police Force on 2 January 2024.

The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) is a former African Union transition and drawdown mission from peacekeeping operations in Somalia. Formerly the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), which began in 2007 and operated until 2022, the goal of ATMIS was to fully transition security operations to the Somali National Armed Forces.[3] The operation consisted of troops from the East African nations of Ethiopia, Kenya, Burundi, Djibouti, and Uganda.[4]

ATMIS transitioned into the AU Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) at the start of 2025.[5][6] Financial constraints and rising tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia during late 2024 have complicated the transition.[7]

Overview

The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia was formed on 1 April 2022, following the end of the AMISOM mandate on 31 March. The mission is focused on both military and institutional autonomy of the Somali government as the African Union pulls out.[8] The mission's mandate is set to end on 31 December 2024, when Somali Security Forces are expected to fully take over the security responsibilities of the country, guided by the Somalia Transition Plan. The first reduction of troops to ease into the end of the peacekeeping mission will take place in December 2022.[3] In May 2024, Somalia asked the United Nations to end this peacekeeping operation with the African Union.[9]

On 2 March 2023 Hillary Sao Kanu is named Commissioner of Police of the ATMIS with the aim to maintain security and stability in the region, train the local police force and provide equipment.[10][11]

Response from Somalia

On 6 April 2022, the Prime Minister of Somalia Mohamed Hussein Roble orders African Union Ambassador to Somalia Francisco Madeira persona non grata to leave the country within 48 hours because of "engaging in acts that are incompatible with his status," after audio emerged of him criticizing government officials for not dealing with national security problems. President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, a major critic of PM Roble, immediately rejects the expulsion.[12][13] On 16 April 2022, plans for a new African Union ambassador to come to Somalia to replace Francisco Madeira begin, after the controversy on 6 April that soured relations with the Prime Minister.[13]

Major incidents and casualties

  • 3 May 2022 – Al-Shabaab jihadists armed with guns and explosives stormed an ATMIS military camp in El Baraf, Middle Shabelle region,[14] triggering a fierce firefight killing 30 soldiers and wounding another 22 Burundian peacekeepers, according to a high-ranking Burundian military officer. A dozen soldiers were also declared missing. This was the first ever attack on ATMIS since taking over AMISOM on 31 March.[4][15]
  • 26 May 2023 – Heavily armed Al-Shabaab militants stormed and overran an ATMIS military camp in Buulo Mareer, Lower Shabelle region after several car explosions carried out by suicide bombers around the perimeters of the camp.[16] The assault resulted in the deaths of 54 soldiers[17] (per UPDF sources, Al-Shabaab claim 137), and the capture of at least 2 soldiers, along with the militants temporarily seizing control of the town. This attack was the deadliest attack carried out on Ugandan troops since their deployment in Somalia in 2007, and also the deadliest attack on ATMIS troops since their succession of AMISOM in April 2022.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "HEAD OF ATMIS HAILS UN COLLABORATION IN FOSTERING PEACE IN SOMALIA". atmis-au.org. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  2. ^ "HEAD OF ATMIS HAILS UN COLLABORATION IN FOSTERING PEACE IN SOMALIA". atmis-au.org. 18 November 2023. Retrieved 7 February 2024.
  3. ^ a b "AMISOM officially transitions to ATMIS, to stay in Somalia for 33 months". Garowe Online. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Al-Shabaab claims deadly attack on AU base in Somalia". Africanews. 4 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  5. ^ ""AUSSOM" New AU Mission in Somalia; Burkina Faso Reaches Boiling Point". Institute for the Study of War. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  6. ^ "AUSSOM takes over security operations in Somalia". Hiiraan Online. 1 January 2025. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
  7. ^ "ATMIS transition in Somalia could stall due to funding shortages, rising Ethiopia tensions". Hiiraan Online. 28 October 2024. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
  8. ^ Wambui, Mary; Khalif, Abdulkadir (6 March 2022). "Somalia enters transition as Amisom gives way to ATMIS". The East African. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  9. ^ "ONU: la Somalie demande la cessation de la Manusom dans le pays". Africanews (in French). 11 May 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Commissioner of Sierra Leone Police Arrives in Somalia". Sierraloaded. 3 March 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  11. ^ APO Group (9 November 2023). "African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) donates Equipment to Somali Police Force". The Guardian Nigeria News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  12. ^ Maruf, Harun (6 April 2022). "Somali Prime Minister Orders African Union Envoy to Leave Country". VOA News. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  13. ^ a b Stein, Chris (16 April 2022). "New leader expected at AU mission in Somalia after Madeira diplomatic tiff". The East African. Retrieved 17 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Press Statement of the Security Council on attack against ATMIS". african.business. 6 May 2022. Archived from the original on 9 June 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
  15. ^ Bankukira, Bernard (20 May 2022). "Somalia: Al-Shabaab ntishobora gutsindwa mu nzira ya gisirikare – umuhinga" [Somalia: Al-Shabaab Cannot Be Defeated by Military - Expert] (in Kinyarwanda). BBC. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  16. ^ "Shabaab overruns Ugandan base in Somalia | FDD's Long War Journal". www.longwarjournal.org. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  17. ^ "Al-Shabab killed 54 Ugandan soldiers in Somalia, says Museveni". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  18. ^ "Uganda: Corruption, no quality control…factors in AU Somalia mission attack". The Africa Report.com. Retrieved 24 June 2023.