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| Africa Horn |
| Somalia: Kenyan and Ethiopian forces praised for commitment in Al-Shabaab war |
| 2023-01-15 |
| [Garowe] Troops from the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] and the Æthiopian National Defense Forces [ENDF] have been hailed for "consistency" in the war against al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... particularly in Middle and Lower Jubba regions where the murderous Moslems have lost grip in recent months according to multiple reports. Mohammed El-Amine Souef, the special representative of the African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Commission Chairman Moussa Faki, noted that the ENDF and KDF contingent in African Union Transition Mission in Somalia [ATMIS] have shown both leadership and commitment around Kismayo ...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.... and its environs. Jubaland falls under Sectors II and VI of ATMIS and probably witnessed the most resilient offensive against al-Shabaab in the early years when the KDF was first reported in Somalia. Under Operation Sledge Hammer in 2012, the KDF managed to liberate Kismayo from the hands of the al-Shabaab. During the visit to Kismayo to assess progress made by the soldiers, Mohammed El-Amine Souef met Brigadier General Lukas Kutto, and Jubaland’s Second Vice President, Abdulkadir Haji Mohamud, and other senior state-level officials, for briefings on the security and political situation in the region. "I had productive discussions with the Vice President and am satisfied we are heading in the same direction with the same commitment — the fight against al-Shabaab," Souef said. He assured the soldiers and regional administration of Puntland ...a region in northeastern Somalia, centered on Garowe in the Nugaal province. Its leaders declared the territory an autonomous state in 1998. Puntland and the equally autonomous Somaliland seem to have avoided the clan rivalries and warlordism that have typified the rest of Somalia, which puts both places high on the list for Islamic subversion... of support as the teams push for stability in the Horn of Africa nation. Jubaland, he said, plays an integral role in the promotion of peace and tranquility within the Horn of Africa, particularly along the borders of Kenya and Æthiopia. "This will be done not only by Jubaland leadership with the Federal Government of Somalia as well as ATMIS. The African Union mission will provide support as mandated by the UN Security Council Resolutions 2628 and 2670 of last year." Jubaland Vice President Abdulkadir Haji Mohamud reaffirmed the readiness of his administration to conduct military offensives against the AlShabaab with the support of ATMIS. The AU representative was briefed on the progress made by the soldiers on all fronts from Dhobley to Kismayo. "We agreed to speed up the fight against the terror group al-Shabaab and ATMIS has taken a strong position on this issue. We are happy with this and our meeting went well," Haji Mohamud said. "Now? Lunch!" Currently, KDF has close to 3,500 soldiers in Somalia who are deployed on a rotational basis annually just like ENDF which has close to 4,500 soldiers. It is envisaged that in the coming three years, Somalia would have stabilized and local soldiers taken over security responsibilities from ATMIS. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |