The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, on Monday strongly condemned the attack carried out on Friday 26 May by the Al-Shabaab group against a base of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), in about 120 kilometers southwest of the capital Mogadishu, according to a statement from its spokesman.
Guterres ‘paid tribute to all ATMIS troops and expressed gratitude for their service in support of peace and stability in Somalia’, before reiterating his call for support to all forces fighting extremism violent in Somalia, says the text.
The African Union force in Somalia announced the attack on its base, without giving details of a possible toll. “An ATMIS base in Bulo Marer was attacked by Al-Shabaab. ATMIS forces are currently assessing the security situation,” she said on Twitter.
On Saturday May 27, the Ugandan army said in a press release that it had sent a team of experts to investigate the circumstances in which the base, housing the Ugandan peacekeepers, had been attacked.
The Al-Shabab group has been on the offensive since Somali President Hassan Cheikh Mohamoud implemented his decision to wage “total war” on this terrorist movement. The Somali army, supported by ATMIS and US airstrikes, was able to recapture vast territories that were under the control of Al-Shabaab militants.
Shebab rebels, affiliated with Al-Qaeda, have been fighting the federal government supported by the international community since 2007.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1193 of 05/30/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
