Sunday December 17, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - The Somali National Army officially
assumed security responsibility for the State House and the Parliament House
from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) troops in a
ceremony held in Mogadishu on Sunday.
The Commander of the Armed Forces, Brigadier General Ibrahim
Sheikh Muhyiddin, the Director General of the Presidency, the Abdihakim Mohamed
Yusuf, and representatives from the African Union and the United Nations
attended the handover ceremony at the presidential palace.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud congratulated the 77th
Brigade of the National Army for taking over the security responsibility of the
country's leadership.
The transition aligns with a recent United Nations Security
Council Resolution authorizing a phased withdrawal of ATMIS forces, set to be
completed by the end of 2024. ATMIS, which replaced the African Union Mission
to Somalia (AMISOM) in March 2022, has been instrumental in supporting the
Somali government against threats, including Islamist militias.
Villa Somalia, the presidential complex in Mogadishu,
housing the offices of the President, Prime Minister, and Parliament, has been
under the protection of the African Union forces since 2007. At its peak, the
ATMIS mission included around 20,000 troops. Its ongoing reduction and transfer
of bases to Somali forces reflect the growing international confidence in
Somalia's capability to manage its security affairs.