STORY: AU Peace and Security Operations Division

Delegation visits Somalia

DURATION: 2:50
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 13/FEBRUARY/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, AU Peace and Security Operations Division Delegation arriving at the
Villa Somalia in Mogadishu for a meeting
2. Med shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor to the Somali President
greeting the delegation
3. Wide shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor to the Somali President
greeting the delegation
4. Med shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor
5. Wide shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor in a meeting with the AU
Peace and Security Operations Division delegation and the Special Representative of
the African Union Commission Chairperson for (SRCC) Somalia, Ambassador
Francisco Madeira
6. Med shot, Maj. Gen. Francis Okello, the Chief of Plans and Operations in the PSOD
and the acting AMISOM Police Commissioner, Christine Alalo at the meeting
7. Close up shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor listening
8. Wide shot, Maj. Gen Francis Okello, the Chief of Plans and Operations in the PSOD
speaking at the meeting
9. Close up shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor taking notes
10. Close up shot, Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor listening
11. Close up shot, Maj. Gen Francis Okello speaking at the meeting
12. Med shot, Zinurine Abiodu Alghali, the Chief of the Policy Development Unit and
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Aderemi Adioye, the Police Coordinator at
the PSOD at the meeting
13. Close up shot, Maj. Gen Francis Okello speaking at the meeting
14. Wide shot, AU Peace and Security Operations Division Delegation at the meeting
15. Wide shot, the delegation and Ambassador Francisco Madeira briefing the media
after the meeting
16. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative
of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia
“We discussed concretely how to prepare the transition plan. How far we have gone
with the transition plan and what challenges we are facing. This is very specific and
we got answers. We told them clearly that we as AMISOM are clearly represented in
the core group with all our three components.”

17. Med shot, SRCC speaking to a member of the delegation

18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative
of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia
“We had the opportunity to speak frankly about the challenges we are facing;
coordination activities; how to enhance interaction and unity, and particularly the
political atmosphere and movement between us.”

19. Wide shot, the delegation leaving the Villa Somalia after the meeting
20. Med shot, ambassadors from Troop Contributing Countries from Uganda, Kenya
and Ethiopia meeting with the delegation
21. Close up shot, a member of the delegation at the meeting
22. Close up shot, Simon Mulongo, Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson
of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia speaking at the meeting
23. Close up shot, Maj. Gen Nathan Mugisha, Uganda’s Ambassador to Somalia at
the meeting
24. Close up shot, Kenyan Deputy Ambassador to Somalia listening
25. Close up shot, Hassan Mohamed Abdi, Ethiopian Deputy Ambassador to Somalia
listening
26. SOUNDBITE: (English) Simon Mulongo, Deputy Special Representative of the
Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia
“The AU Commission has delegated this team to come and carry out an on ground
assessment in terms of preparedness, in terms of plans and in terms of activities and
also to look at our relationship with the key players like the Federal Government of
Somalia, the federal member states and also our dear supporting institutions; the
UN, especially UNSOS.”

27. Wide shot, Maj. Gen Francis Okello speaking at the meeting
28. Med shot, Hassan Mohamed Abdi, Ethiopian Deputy Ambassador to Somalia
listening

AU Peace Support Operations Division delegation visits Somalia

Mogadishu, 13 February 2018 - A delegation from the African Union Peace Support
Operations Division (PSOD) is in Somalia to assess peacekeeping activities as the
transfer of responsibilities from AMISOM to Somali national security forces begin to
take shape.

During its four-day stay in Somalia, the 10-man delegation will hold discussions with
top officials from the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the United
Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), the Federal Government of Somalia and
Ambassadors of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs).
The discussions will focus on a wide range of issues among them peacekeeping
activities, achievements made and challenges being experienced in securing Somalia
and transfer of responsibilities to Somali national security forces among others.
Today, the delegation led by Maj. Gen Francis Okello, the Chief of Plans and
Operations in the PSOD, held discussions with representatives of the Federal
Government of Somalia, led by Abdisaid Ali, the National Security Advisor to the
President.

The meeting held at the Presidential Palace in Mogadishu was also attended by the
Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC)
for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira.

Speaking after the closed-door meeting Ambassador Madeira explained that the
delegation is in the country on a routine assessment mission.

“They have very specific objectives to see how we are working, what our challenges
are; what are our relations with our hosts and how we plan for the transition,” the
SRCC said.

He noted that the delegation had frank discussions with the Federal Government of
Somalia officials on issues focusing on peace and stability.

“We had the opportunity to speak frankly about the challenges we are facing;
coordination activities; how to enhance interaction and unity, and particularly the
political atmosphere and movement between us,” Ambassador Madeira observed.

In August last year, the United Nations Security Council approved a reduction of
AMISOM uniformed personnel to a maximum 21,626 by 31 December 2017 amid a
transfer of responsibilities to Somali national security forces.

Ambassador Madeira said the discussions at the Presidential Palace also dwelt on
the transition plan and the implementation challenges.

Also present at the meeting were senior AMISOM officials, among them, Force
Commander, Lt. Gen. Jim Owoyesigire; the Acting Police Commissioner, Christine
Alalo, and the Chief Operations Officer, Col. Paul Mwasi.

Later in the day, Deputy SRCC Simon Mulongo chaired a closed-door meeting with
representatives of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to discuss matters security.
Mr. Mulongo welcomed the visit by the PSOD delegation, saying the assessment was
necessary given the crucial contribution the TCC’s have so far made in stabilizing
Somalia.

“The AU Commission has delegated this team to come and carry out an on ground
assessment in terms of preparedness, in terms of plans and in terms of activities and
also to look at our relationship with the key players like the Federal Government of
Somalia, the federal member states and also our supporting institution; the UN,
especially UNSOS,” Mr. Mulongo explained.

As part of its exit strategy, AMISOM has begun implementing a conditions based
transition plan that will see it handing over the country’s security responsibilities to
Somali national security forces.

The Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD) is mandated to plan, launch, sustain,
monitor and liquidate all Peace Support Operations (PSOs) authorized by the African
Union.