STORY: AMISOM FORCE COMMANDER HAND OVER TRT: 4:14 SOURCE: AU/UN IST RESTRICTIONS: This media asset

is free for editorial broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is not to be sold on and is restricted for other purposes. All enquiries to news@auunist.org CREDIT REQUIRED: AU/UN IST LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS DATELINE: 16 DECEMBER 2013, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA SHOTLIST: 1. Wide shot, AMISOM guard of honor 2. Med shot, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif salutes guard of honor 3. Wide shot, SRCC and AMISOM force commanders walk past guard of honor 5. Wide shot, various AMISOM officials at the handover ceremony 6. Med shot, AMISOM outgoing force commander Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti signing handover documents 7. Close up, tilt up, new AMISOM force commander Lt. Gen. Silas Ntigurirwa signing handover documents 8. Med shot, new AMISOM force Commander Lt. Gen Silas Ntigurirwa signing document 9. Wide shot, AMISOM personnel and guests at the handover ceremony 10. Med shot, members of the AMISOM Burundian contingent at the ceremony 11. Wide shot, AMISOM outgoing force commander Andrew Gutti hands over AU flag to new Force commander 12. Med shot, AMISOM outgoing force commander Lt. Gen Andrew Gutti salutes new force commander 13. Wide shot, new force Commander Lt. Gen. Ntigurirwa handing over the flag at the ceremony 14. Soundbite: (ENGLISH) Andrew Gutti, outgoing AMISOM commander: Am convinced that what we are doing shall be put on the right side of history for the future generations to read and judge. I pay tribute to the deceased comrades and those that got injured. The sweat, blood and human lives invested in Somalia

shall never and never go down in vain. A milestone has been covered yet the bigger job awaits, therefore there is still unfinished business. 15. Wide shot, AMISOM personnel and dignitaries at the handover event 16. Med shot, AMISOM civilians in attendance at the ceremony 17. Soundbite: (ENGLISH) Lt. Gen Silas Ntigurirwa, new AMISOM force commander: With this promise of additional support, AMISOM will be able to expand its area of responsibilities to liberate other locations which are currently in the hands of al Shabab. Because of this, let us stand up strongly until this country becomes safe, and peaceful. Finally, I accept officially, on behalf of the Republic of Burundi and on my own behalf, the AMISOM command. 18. Med shot, AMISOM military personnel at the conference 19. Soundbite: (ENGLISH) Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif: We have also achieved an increase in troop numbers and in logistical support to Somali National forces, our main field partners. The other good news is that Ethiopian troops will join AMISOM. 20. Wide shot, SRCC Ambassador Annadiff giving out going AMISOM commander Medal of Honor 21. Close up, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Anadiff pinning the medal 22. Wide shot, outgoing force commander shakes hands with Head of AMISOM mission STORY: Lieutenant General Silas Ntigurirwa of the Burundi National Defense Force (BNDF) has today taken over command of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), as it emerges that Ethiopian troops will be joining the force. He takes over from Lieutenant General Andrew Gutti from the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces (UPDF), who has today handed over command of the 17,731 troops. He comes in at a time when the force expects reinforcement, following a resolution by the United Nations Security Council that approved an additional 4,400 troops for the mission, bringing the numbers to 22,131. Speaking during the handover ceremony held in the Somali Capital Mogadishu today, the outgoing Force Commander Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti listed some of his

achievements as including enabling the political situation in Somalia, facilitating the growing economic activity and being able to maintain relative peace in the country. He however noted that the force continues to face major hurdles and the job at hand is far from over. Am convinced that what we are doing shall be put on the right side of history for the future generations to read and judge. I pay tribute to the deceased comrades and those that got injured. The sweat, blood and human lives invested in Somalia shall never and never go down in vain. A milestone has been covered yet the bigger job awaits, therefore there is still unfinished business, he stated. Lt. Gen. Silas Ntigurirwa new AMISOM commander called for fast implementation of the recent UN resolution 2124 to boost troop numbers and logistical support including air support and armoured vehicles, among other assets. With this promise of additional support, AMISOM will be able to expand its area of responsibilities to liberate other locations which are currently in the hands of al Shabaab. Because of this, let us stand up strongly until this country becomes safe, and peaceful. Finally, I accept officially, on behalf of the Republic of Burundi and on my own behalf, the AMISOM command, he asserted. The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Mahamat Saleh Annadif commended the outgoing commander for a job well done, calling for fast implementation of the UN resolution, to have troop numbers boosted. Ambassador Annadif also confirmed that Ethiopian troops are to be incorporated into the AMISOM force. We have also achieved an increase in troop numbers and in logistical support to Somali National forces, our main field partners. The other good news is that Ethiopian troops will join AMISOM, he noted. Currently, the strength of the AMISOM force military component comprises of 5,432 from Burundi, 1000 from Djibouti, 3664 from Kenya, 850 from Sierra Leone and 6223 from Uganda. Born in 1968, Lt. Gen. Silas Ntigurirwa brings vast experience from the Burundian army, in which he has served in different capacities, with the last posting being the Permanent Secretary in the countrys Ministry of National Defense and Former Combatants. He is the 6th commander of AMISOM since its establishment in 2007 and becomes the first non-Ugandan to take over command of the force. END.