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The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has resumed joint military operations with Somali security forces after a three-month technical pause in its troop drawdown. They are intensifying efforts to combat al-Shabab and ensure stability, despite weather-related challenges. ATMIS is on track to gradually withdraw its forces over the next 14 months, with full withdrawal by the end of 2024.

The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) said on Thursday 2^nd November 2023 that it has intensified its joint military offensives with Somali security forces despite a three-month technical pause to the second phase of the drawdown of the ATMIS troops.

ATMIS Force Commander Sam Okiding said following the technical pause, which was requested by Somalia, ATMIS has reorganized its troops and is continuing the robust fight against al-Shabab.

“Our operations with Somali security forces have significantly intensified since the 90-day technical pause in the Phase Two drawdown,” Okiding declared in a statement released in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

The commander of ATMIS reaffirmed ATMIS’s commitment to upholding stability and security in Somalia and expanding on the achievements of its previous mission.

The start of the rains, according to Okiding, has somewhat delayed plans for additional combined offensive liberation efforts. She also mentioned that the rains had affected several of ATMIS’s military outposts, causing operational delays and floods.

He noted that despite these environmental obstacles, ATMIS has formed a task force with its partners to get ready for El Nino and its consequences.

Security plans for Somalia state that ATMIS will gradually withdraw its forces over the next 14 months, withdrawing fully by the end of 2024, with primary responsibility for this area falling on the Somali security forces.