Hiiraan Online
Friday February 17, 2017
Mogadishu (HOL) - In his first day in office, President Farmajo announced that foreign troops part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) will remain in Somalia while his administration works on rebuilding the Somalia National Army. He added that the end goal was to build a capable security force that can defend its territory without dependence on foreign forces.
President Farmajo thanked AMISOM troops for their contributions to Somalia's peace and security.
“AMISOM did a lot of work (here in Somalia), they defended and supported the government to function, we praise them (AMISOM) and all the troop-contributing countries. We shall work together until we restore our army,” said president Farmaajo.
AMISOM is regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with UN approval. The military component of AMISOM is made up of troops from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia. Part of their mandate is to assist the Somali security forces in their fight against the militant insurgency group Al-Shabaab. The current mandate, set to expire in late November allows for a maximum strength of 22,126 troops.