SRCC and Head of ATMIS Descends Upon Baidoa, Leaving All Dumbfounded – Has Intense Encounter with President of South West State, Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed

On Thursday May 18, 2023, the Southwest State of Somalia saw a flurry of activity as high-level officials from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) descended upon Baidoa for an important meeting. The delegation, which included the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef and China’s Ambassador to Somalia, Fei Shengchao, was greeted by South West State President Abdiaziz Hassan Mohamed and members of his administration.

During the meeting, a variety of perplexing and high-stakes issues were discussed, including political reconciliation, humanitarian efforts, security, and the ongoing fight against Al-Shabab. The ATMIS officials also talked about the upcoming troop drawdown and the preparations that must be made to meet the June deadline.

The delegation, which included a diverse group of individuals such as the newly arrived ATMIS Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding, ATMIS Police Commissioner Hillary Sao Kanu, and ATMIS Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen. Marius Ngendabanka, held other meetings during their visit. These included discussions with Ethiopian National Defence Force troops and Ghanaian Formed Police Unit (FPU) officers stationed in the region.

Overall, the meetings were productive and insightful, with all parties showing commitment to ensuring a smooth transition and restoring security and stability to the area. The delegation thanked the South West State leadership for their collaboration and pledged to continue supporting the ongoing peacebuilding efforts in the region.