AMISOM sets new strategies to counter threats from IEDs

–The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and key international partners during a meeting at Mogadishu. They resolved  to create new ways of reducing the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Somalia. (Courtesy)

MOGADISHU—The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and key international partners have come together to create new ways of reducing the threat posed by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Somalia.

This is after concluding a two-day meeting facilitated by the United Kingdom Mission Support Team (UKMST) in Mogadishu.

“The best weapons of course against IEDs is a well-trained soldier who practices correct drills, maintains conscious situational awareness of his environment during the convoy movement, consciousness of the threat, listens to the intuition or the seventh sense, observant, and able to understand and reconcile the fact that this threat is real. And therefore we need to be very much aware of this,” said AMISOM’s deputy Force Commander in-charge of Operations and Planning, Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai,

Maj. Gen. Gituai in his remarks expressed a lot  of  concern at the increasing incidents of explosions from IEDs.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United States Army, the Turkish Army, the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) in Somalia, and military officers from AMISOM.

In its resolutions, the gathering agreed to the formation of multi-stakeholder teams in all AMISOM sectors, which would come up with quick solutions to mitigate rising threats from explosives.

Lt. Col. Ian Strong, the Commander of the UK Mission Support Team in Somalia, called on all the participants at the at the conference to share critical information on IEDS, which he said, was key in helping reduce the threat posed by the explosives.

“Outside the gates of Mogadishu International Airport are IEDs being constructed and built and then sent all over the country. And the top purpose is destruction. It’s about us as a team helping each other and also helping the people of Somalia to overcome this threat,” stated Lt. Col. Strong.

Mr. Paul Amoroso, the UNMAS Somalia IED Threat Mitigation Policy Advisor, announced the release of a draft IED Risk-Mitigation Planners’ Handbook, with an associated pocket handbook and IED risk-mitigation cards, to provide ready information to AMISOM troops in the country.

The United Kingdom on September committed £7 million (Sh908 million) to fund the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) that is fighting jihadist group Al Shabaab.

“Somalia is at a critical juncture. And sustainable, predictable funding and support for the troops who are building stability in the region is vital to support a transition to Somali-led security, when the conditions for a handover are right,” Ms May said on August 31 in a press statement issued by the British High Commission in Uganda.