The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Sam Kavuma has concluded a one-day visit to the port city of Kismayo to assess the security situation and troop welfare in Jubaland State.

This was his first visit to the southern city since taking over from Lt. Gen. Sam Okiding who left the mission in April to become the Deputy Chief of Uganda’s People’s Defence Forces.

During the visit, Lt. Gen. Kavuma, accompanied by the Military Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen Kindu Gezu, held a closed-door meeting with the ATMIS Kenya Contingent Commander, Brig. Seif Salim Rashid and senior ATMIS military and police officers. 

Brig. Rashid briefed Lt. Gen. Kavuma on the security situation in the region, ongoing peace support operations and humanitarian initiatives. 

The Force Commander praised ATMIS Kenya troops for their significant contributions to peace and stability in southern Somalia. 

“I want to thank the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) for their excellent work in improving peace and security in the area. Their efforts have made a big difference, for example, the seaport and airport are operational and there is a lot of development taking place in the region,” said Lt. Gen. Kavuma. 

Kenya, alongside Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Uganda, is one of the Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to ATMIS. The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is responsible for securing the Lower Juba region of southern Somalia. 

Brig. Gen. Seif thanked Lt. Gen. Kavuma for visiting the region and offering valuable advice to guide operations, as ATMIS prepares to conclude its mission in December. 

He highlighted the ongoing drawdown of ATMIS troops in Jubaland State, assuring KDF’s commitment to ensure peace and stability prevails. 

“The drawdown plan is proceeding well. We finished phase one and two and we are almost finishing phase three. The programme is on course and once we complete phase three, we will prepare for the final phase,” said Brig. Gen. Rashid. 

Lt. Gen. Kavuma also visited ATMIS Level II Hospital and expressed satisfaction with the quality of services provided to troops and local residents, as part of the mission’s Civil-Military Cooperation efforts to ensure access to quality healthcare.