The ATMIS has revitalized its commitment to bolster cooperation and establish partnerships in order to achieve peace and stability in the country on the mission's first anniversary.
According to a special representative of the chairman of the African Union Commission for Somalia and head of the ATMIS, Mohammed El-Amine Souef, the efforts of the transition mission have led to a decrease in al-Shabaab's activities, with the security situation in Somalia relatively calm.
"However, we cannot afford to lower our guard since the Khawarij [al-Shabaab] remain the greatest threat to Somalia's peace and stability," Souef said during a media briefing in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on Saturday.
The main goal of the ATMIS, which is expected to last until December 31, 2024, consists in preparing the Somali National Armed Forces for assuming responsibility for the security situation in Somalia.
The head of the mission noted that international partners who have been supporting the mission since the beginning deserve special attention for their contribution.
"In this regard, I would like to reaffirm ATMIS' support to the federal government and the good people of Somalia that we stand in solidarity with the communities facing the hardships of droughts and floods, and those displaced by wars," Souef emphasized.
Along with that, he called on all Somalis to assist the security forces in order to achieve and maintain peace and security in the country.
The countries taking part in the ATMIS include Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
In early February, officials from Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Djibouti held two meetings. The first involved the countries' defense ministers and military commanders, who discussed joint anti-terrorism efforts "in full cooperation with the Somali National Army, the ATMIS, and the non-ATMIS forces in Somalia" on February 1.
The following day, the leaders of the four countries, who also met in Mogadishu, reached an agreement to "jointly plan and organize a robust operational campaign at the frontline states level, of search and destroy on multiple frontlines aiming at key al-Shabaab strongholds across the south and central Somalia," according to their statement.
Somalia is known for having suffered atrocities committed al-Shabaab since the mid-2000s. While the country was engulfed in war, the terrorist group managed to seize vast amounts of territory, including parts of the capital city, but the group was pushed out by government and AMISOM forces in 2011.
*A terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and many other countries