ATMIS pauses troop withdrawal to ensure smooth transition to new AU Mission in Somalia

The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has paused a planned drawdown of 2,000 troops to assist with the transition to the incoming force, the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), which will deploy in January next year.

In his statement to the UN Security Council, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef, the Special Representative of the AU Commission Chairperson for Somalia and Head of ATMIS, said the Phase 3, sub-phase b drawdown of the troops was aligned with the new mission's Concept of Operations (CONOPs), which stated that it would constitute Phase 0 of the Post-ATMIS Mission.

"This necessitated a pause of the Phase 3b drawdown, which was scheduled for September, to provide planning capacity for the eventual exit of ATMIS on 31 December 2024, and the deployment of the new Mission on 1 January 2025 in a manner that aligns with Somalia's operational priorities and prevents a security vacuum," he told the Council.

The transition to a new mission is occurring at a critical time of tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia, which began in January this year and escalated in the months that followed.

The Head of the mission called for mediation to address the dispute between the two nations.

"I, therefore, welcome the ongoing efforts to address the dispute between the two countries and I look forward to an outcome that embodies the principles of sovereignty, respect for territorial integrity, and adherence to international law, which are key to promoting peace and security as well as effective cooperation and development," he said.

The transition is also happening at a time when there are reports that Al-Shabaab has acquired missiles and armed UAVs, posing a threat to missions deployed, local security forces, and civilians.

He called for sustained international cooperation and support to strengthen existing security frameworks and enable Somalia to effectively address emerging security threats.

"Similarly, the growing risk of infiltration and collaboration between Al-Shabaab and the Houthis is a considerable security challenge, threatening regional stability in the Horn of Africa as well as maritime navigation and shipping routes in the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Mozambique Channel. These concerns underscore the transnational nature of security challenges and the need for comprehensive and coordinated international efforts that prioritise effective and sustainable solutions," he said.

In efforts to protect the new mission set to replace ATMIS from facing funding shortfalls, Qatar, Turkey, the UAE, the UK, and the US affirmed their support for the mission in a meeting held in Washington on Thursday.

"The Quint discussed the urgent need to finalise plans for the new African Union Stabilisation and Support Mission in Somalia to follow the end of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia. They noted the importance of ensuring broad stakeholder input into the planning process, including from troop contributors, to produce a mission with feasible and resource-informed goals and tasks, and a clear exit strategy synchronised with Somalia's security sector capacity-building. Partners also discussed the urgency of finalising funding options for the new mission," a statement from the meeting said.

The Quint partners further affirmed their support for Somalia's sovereignty, territorial integrity, and unity and reiterated the need to reduce regional tensions through dialogue, including Turkish-sponsored mediation efforts.