Secretary-General Welcomes Establishment of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, Urges Partners to Ensure Predictable, Sustainable Funding

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General welcomes the recent establishment of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).  He reiterates the unwavering commitment of the United Nations to Somalia and expresses his full support to ATMIS and the Somali security forces in their ongoing fight against Al-Shabaab.

The Secretary-General urges all partners to urgently ensure sustainable and predictable funding for ATMIS and resourcing of the Somali security forces in support of the country’s security transition.  He looks forward to working closely with the African Union, Federal Government of Somalia and all partners to support a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somali security forces.

The Secretary-General pays tribute to the significant achievements of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) over the past 15 years.  He expresses his gratitude to the AMISOM troop- and police-contributing countries for their commitment to advancing peace in Somalia, and honours those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.