Another part of wrapping up the current African Union (AU) mission in Somalia took place last week when the Burgavo forward operating base (FOB) was transferred to the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF).
The base, 530 km from Mogadishu, marks the end of ATMIS (AU Mission in Somalia) phase three drawdown ahead of the operationalisation of its replacement – AUSSOM (AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia) – on 1 January.
Burgavo was manned by Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel deployed to the AU mission in the troubled east African country and, according to ATMIS, was vital in countering al-Shabaab influence and securing the critical Burgavo-Ras Kamboni main supply route (MSR).
Speaking at the handover parade, Badhadhe District Commissioner General Mohamed Ibrahim Farah, representing Jubaland State administration, said Burgavo demonstrated the growing capacity and dedication of the Somali Security Forces to take over security responsibilities of their country. One example of this was “jointly pacifying” the Lower Juba region, paving the way for the Somali-led transition process.
Farah is further reported as saying: “It is now time for Somalis to take charge of their own security. We are ready to take over this base and continue to maintain its security. Somalia now has a strong government that can take charge of its security.”
Design and funding of AUSSOM was on the table at a September joint AU/United Nations (UN) meeting in Mogadishu. The meeting was in line with UN Resolution 2748 (2024) and due to be on the UN Security Council agenda this month (November).
According to the Pretoria-headquartered Institute for Security Studies (ISS), the cost of managing and running ATMIS in 2023 was estimated at $1.5 billion. Should AUSSOM become reality with a similar cost, based on the UN Resolution 2719 and its 75%:25% burden share, the AU will have to contribute $375 million ― 61.5% of the fund’s current capacity
