Al-Shabaab seizes town in southern Somalia after UPDF exit
MOGADISHU, Somalia – A contingent of the Ugandan People’s Defense Force [UPDF] walked out of the Mariaguwaay Forward Operating Base in Lower Shabelle, handing the land over to the Somali federal government, but only for Al-Shabaab militants to take control of the city.
Ugandan troops serving in AMISOM have been relocated as part of the troop realignment to provide more effective security to major supply routes and public areas in general, the mission said in a statement on Tuesday.
Marianguwaay Forward Operating Base was formed in 2014 to facilitate movement between the towns of Barawe and Marka in Lower Shabelle. The withdrawal of the troops effectively meant its official closure and the handing over of land to the government.
Brig. General Don Nabasa presided over the exit ceremony on Sunday in the presence of the governor of Bas Shabelle, Abdikadir Murshid Sidi, and the deputy commissioner of the Barawe district, Ibrahim Abdinoor.
Also in attendance was AMISOM Deputy Chief of Operations Lt. Col. Alemayehu Abera Kitila, AMISOM’s Joint Support Operations Center. [JSOC] Officer, Maximillian Okech, and Force spokesperson Lt. Col. Daniel Mugoro.
“The recently concluded Sector Commanders Conference, guided by the AMISOM Concept of Operations, harmonized several tasks to be performed by Sector I, including the relocation of troops from Forward Operating Base Marianguwaay to another. area to enhance security. This will improve operational efficiency as we pursue AMISOM’s mandate, ”said Nabasa.
“Mariaguwaay was one of the most peaceful areas. On behalf of AMISOM and Sector I, I express my gratitude to the local leaders and the community for cooperating with our troops, ”he added.
Bas Shabelle Governor Abdikadir Murshid Sidi noted that the presence of AMISOM troops and those of the Somali National Army [SNA] had considerably weakened the militants of Al-Shabaab, who controlled sections of beehives in the south of the country.
“You have helped us take major steps. The transfer of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali Security Forces is the result of the efforts and sacrifices made by our African brothers in the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, ”said Sidi.
Prior to the relocation, AMISOM troops conducted a clean-up which consisted of removing structures and leveling the ground to restore the environment in accordance with AMISOM environmental standard operating procedures.
“We cleaned up everywhere to leave the environment as we found it when establishing this FOB. Now we are ready to go to the next destination, ”said Ugandan Battle Group 31 Commander Colonel Francis Aragamoi.
Since 2014, AMISOM troops have operated jointly in the general area of Mariaguwaay, significantly improving the security situation in the region before it is necessary to assume security responsibilities elsewhere, in accordance with the reconfiguration plan of the region. ‘AMISOM and SNA underway and revised concept of operations. [CONOPS] 2018-2021.
But the exit of Ugandan troops appears to have left a big void as Al-Shabaab militants immediately recaptured the city after years of flushing out, sparking debate over the readiness of the Somali National Army. [SNA] who is supposed to take responsibility for security in the country.
Eyewitnesses said activists, who are keen to overthrow the fragile UN-backed Somali administration, stormed the city moments after the UPDF’s exit, further hoisting their traditional black flag in the city. The city is now under their full control, witnesses added.
Governor Sidi, who previously praised the efforts of the security forces, apparently criticized SNA troops for being slow to settle in the city. According to him, the initial arrangements dictated that the SNA troops were to report immediately, but they did not show up in time.
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