Joint AU-UN team in Somalia to assess AMISOM’s transition plan

[Deeq A.]

A joint team from the United Nations and the African Union (AU) is in Somalia to review progress made in implementing the transition plan whose key objective is the transfer of security responsibility from the AU peacekeeping mission to security forces, the AU mission said on Friday.

The delegation led by Francis Okello, chief of plans and operations Unit in the AU’s Peace Operations Support Division, will evaluate steps taken by AMISOM in implementing tasks under the transition plan as mandated by the UN and AU councils.

“There were some mandates issued by the two councils (UN and AU) to be undertaken by this Mission. The joint review will definitely be looking at those mandates and also focus on the Somalia Transition Plan,” Okello said in a statement issued by the AU mission.

A UN Resolution authorized the reduction of uniformed AMISOM personnel by 1,000 by end of February.

The resolution also mandated AMISOM to maintain a minimum of 1,040 police personnel including five formed police units.

During the week-long visit, the delegation will meet with the AMISOM senior leadership, officials from the government, the UN, representatives of international partners, diplomats from AMISOM troop contributing countries and the European Union.

The delegation will also hold discussions and analyze Somalia’s political and security situation as the country prepares for one-person, one-vote elections in 2020-2021 period.

Vincent Pasquini, Team Leader of the UN delegates said the review would look into issues of transition planning, electoral preparations and the operating environment in Somalia.

During the joint review meeting held in May 2018 Somalia reiterated its commitment to assume security responsibility as stipulated in the transition plan.

It urged the review team not to judge the country by its past but by achievements so far made in stabilizing the country.

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