July 4, 2014

The purpose of this brief this morning is to update you on the progress of our efforts and engagement. It is important that you all now the state of affairs and it remains our endeavor to maintain a transparent and accountable operation.

In my short time here, I have had the opportunity to sit down with a diverse group of stakeholders from Somalia and the international community. I have listened to youth, women, elders, political leaders, humanitarian workers, security officials and religious leaders.

We as a mission are honoured to be present in Somalia at a time of monumental challenge. We remain committed to playing our part in the rebirth of a great nation. I have no doubt in my mind that we are on the right track. The determination of the Somali people to take charge of their destiny is a motivation for us.

Our 22,126 troops continue to work alongside the Somali National Army, the Somali Police Force and the National Intelligence and Security Agency. Our role here is to support these forces and to build their capacity and enable them to take charge of this country’s security.

Our joint offensive to liberate innocent civilians from the brutal rule of Al Shabaab continues. We have liberated 10 key towns and we continue to consolidate the gains we have made.

During this holy month of Ramadan we have initiated extra measures especially within the urban areas. We are leaving no room for Al Shabaab to wreak havoc and terrorize worshippers observing the holy month. Our day and night patrols as well as joint cordon and search operations are active in all our sectors.

We are confident in the ongoing political process. Our mandate is to ensure a safe and secure environment for the government and the people to conduct their business. We support the federal government in its endeavors to initiate key reforms to ensure we have elections in 2016.

We are encouraged by the consensus building efforts and dialogue amongst the political actors. Together with the rest of the international community, we have lent our support to the recent agreement between the South West 3 and South West 6 groups. It is our belief that ultimately it is up to the people of Somalia to decide their political future.

In my visits to Baidoa and Beledweyne in the last few days, the sight of reconstruction, stability and reinvigoration have reaffirmed my belief in the success of our campaigns. I have spent time with communities in these areas to hear about their hopes and aspirations. The one aspect that was repeated over and over in these discussions was the hope and optimism about the future. We share in that hope and optimism and we remain confident in the unlimited possibilities for the Somali people.

We continue to urge for better support for the Somali security forces. The training of the SNA at Jazeera Training Camp continues in earnest. We appeal for more support in equipment, logistics and direct assistance for the Somali National Army and the Somali Police Force.

We also ask aid agencies to closely monitor the humanitarian situation in Somalia. AMISOM stands ready to provide safe corridors for the movement of relief supplies and we will ensure that the most vulnerable communities are not cut off from critical supplies.

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