Mogadishu (HOL) – Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud met with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, in Brussels on Tuesday.
They discussed in their meeting the latest security developments, including the ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and the E.U.’s post-ATMIS (African Union Transition Mission in Somalia) security support for Somalia.
President Mohamud also met with the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in Brussels, where they discussed the Somali government’s initiatives to counter the terrorism threat and the E.U.’s enduring assistance in security, state-building, and development.
President Mohamud’s meetings took place on the sidelines of the Global Gateway Forum. According to reports, the President engaged European leaders in discussions about funding for Somali-led military operations, as the withdrawal of A.U. peacekeeping troops from Somalia began a month ago. Under a U.N. resolution, the pullout will occur in three phases and be completed by December 2024.
Last month, the Somali government requested the U.N. Security Council for a three-month delay in the second phase of the African Union Transition Mission Forces in Somalia (ATMIS) drawdown by the end of September. The request was made to address significant challenges and the “profound” implications for Somalia’s security transition. It received support from the five nations contributing troops to the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), advocating for a 90-day “pause” in the drawdown of 3,000 AU peacekeepers.
