STORY: AMISOM hands over Operational Readiness

Assessment findings to the Somali government

DURATION: 3:28
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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
thenewsroom@auunist.org
CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 26/FEBRUARY/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira, and the Federal
Government of Somalia Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Abukar Islow,
arriving for the handover of the Operational Readiness Assessment Report (ORA)
2. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira and FGS Minister at the handover
3. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira
4. Wide shot, presentation of the ORA report
5. Close up shot, a senior official of the Somali Police Force listening
6. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira and FGS Minister of Internal
Security, Mohamed Abukar Islow
7. Med shot, Maxwell Chikunguru, AMISOM Police Coordinator Reform and
Restructuring presenting the report findings
8. Close up shot, FGS Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Abukar Islow listening
9. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira, FGS Minister and AMISOM senior
police officers listening
10. Med shot, Maxwell Chikunguru, AMISOM Police Coordinator Reform and
Restructuring presenting the report
11. Close up shot, a slide showing AMISOM police officers carrying out registration
exercise
12. Wide shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira speaking
13. Med shot, UN police officers at the handover
14. Wide shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira speaking
15. Close up shot, a senior Somali Police Force officer listening
16. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira speaking
17. Med shot, UN Police officers at the meeting
18. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of
the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia
“What we now need, your excellency, is to see how we can best tap into this
identified human resource [Regional Forces] and use it for the implementation of the
transition plan.”

19. Wide shot, AMISOM and Federal Government of Somalia officials at the meeting
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of
the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia
“It is clear to us that we need to see how best we can use this force because the way
we are going to implement this transition plan from our side, drawdown and finally
(exit), is linked to the need to effectively handover to the Somali National Security
Forces. These forces ( regional forces and Somali National Security Forces) must be
able not just to capture places but more importantly to hold to those places and
start building those places and win the trust and confidence of the population and
transform the population into an even bigger force that will face the Al-Shabaab.”

13. Close up shot, a FGS official taking notes

14. Close up shot, taking notes
15. Pan shot, Maxwell Chikunguru, AMISOM Police Coordinator Reform and
Restructuring presenting the report
16. Wide shot, AMISOM and Federal Government of Somalia officials clapping
17. Wide shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira handing over the report to FGS
Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Abukar Islow
18. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira handing over the report to FGS
Minister of Internal Security, Mohamed Abukar Islow
19. SOUNDBITE: (Somali) Mohamed Abukar Islow, Minister of Internal Security of the
Federal Government of Somalia
“The outcome will help us know the training that the regional forces have, their age,
composition, their health and the type of equipment they have. This will help us in
integrating the troops in future and will also help us in the implementation of the
transition plan, as AMISOM prepares to exit.”

20. Wide shot, AMISOM and Federal Government of Somalia officials preparing to
leave the room after the handover of the Operational Readiness Assessment Report
(ORA)

AMISOM hands over Operational Readiness Assessment findings to the Somali

government
Mogadishu, 26 February 2019 - Somalia has more than 20,000 pro-government
fighters operating in the five federal member states.
The statistic is part of the key findings contained in the Operational Readiness
Assessment (ORA) report handed over to the federal Minister of Internal Security,
Mohamed Abukar Islow, by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the
African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Madeira.

According to the report, the fighters who are members of various regional forces or
clan-based militias, have played a major role in fight against Al-Shabaab and other
armed opposition groups in the Federal Member States.

In places like South West and Jubbaland States, the 60-page document details that
the forces have fought alongside the Somali National Army (SNA) and African Union
Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) troops to dislodge Al-Shabaab in various regions and
protect communities.

“What we now need is to see how best we can use the regional forces in the
implementation of the Somalia Transition Plan,” Ambassador Madeira said at
meeting held in the Somali capital, today.

The SRCC noted it was important that the withdrawal of AMISOM troops, as
authorized by the UN Security Council, is done in a manner that does not
compromise the gains already made in the country.

“The implementation of the transition plan is strongly linked to the need to gradually
handover security responsibility to the Somali National Security Forces in a way that
protects the gains made in securing the country,” Ambassador Madeira noted.

The report is based on an ORA exercise conducted in the federal member states of
Jubbaland, South West, Galmudug and Puntland between March 2018 and January
2019.

The exercise sought to establish, among others, the number of fighters in each of the
states, their level of training, remuneration and capability.

Though ORA was not conducted in HirShabelle State, the federal member state like
others, also boasts of a pro-government regional force.

Mr. Islow, who received the report on behalf of the federal government, described
ORA exercise as crucial in the implementation of the transition plan.
“The findings will help us know their (regional forces) demography, composition,
training needs and equipment owned,” observed the Minister, adding that the
information will also help in integrating the fighters into the Somali National Security
Forces as required under the Somalia Transition Plan.

According to the report, Galmudug has the highest number of regional fighters,
followed by Jubbaland, Puntland, South West and HirShabelle.

The document observes that most fighters have basic military training, however they
were poorly housed and lacked equipment and administrative structures.

The exercise also found that regional forces report to state ministers of internal
security, lack uniform and are occasionally paid by their regional governments.

In a meeting held in December 2017, the Somalia National Security Council resolved
to recognize the regional forces and federal government offered to support them in
view of their role in fighting Al-Shabaab.