MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – African Union peacekeepers on Sunday handed over Owr Hassan military base in the central Somalia town of Baladweyne to the Somali army as part of the third phase of the scheduled drawdown of ATMIS troops.
The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) has so far transferred bases in Barire, El Egle, Baladweyne, Abdalla Birole and Baladweyne to the Somali military amid concerns raised that Somali security forces have no sufficient manpower to hold positions vacated by the peacekeepers while on the other hand consolidating gains made in the fight against the militant group Al-Shabaab.
The African Union has responded to a request from the Somali government by agreeing to reduce the number of peacekeepers to be withdrawn in the third phase from 4,000 to 2,000. This decision aims to prevent militants from exploiting any potential security vacuum that could arise, potentially allowing them to retake strategic bases.
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