BELEDWEYNE:–Soldiers of the Djiboutian Armed Forces serving under the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Sunday celebrated the 44th anniversary since the formation of their country’s military.
Speaking at a ceremony held at the AMISOM Sector 4 headquarters in Beletweyne city, Hirshabelle State, Col. Abdullahi Muse Omar, Commander of Djiboutian forces under AMISOM said the Djiboutian army had made great strides since its formation over four decades ago.
“Today, we mark the 44th anniversary of the formation of Djiboutian Armed Forces. This is an important day of reflecting the journey we have traveled, and the lessons learnt. We send congratulatory messages to all of our armed forces, serving at home and in other missions such as here with AMISOM. We also pay special tribute to our partners, the Somali National Army and the people of Beletweyne, for their spirit of cooperation and collaboration,” Col. Omar said.
In 2011, Djibouti became the third country to contribute its forces to AMISOM. Since then, its officers have been deployed mainly in Beletweyne where they have conducted training and mentoring of the Somali National Army as well as security patrols in and around Beletweyne. Over the years, they have contributed to the reconstruction of local infrastructure, have given humanitarian support and have also provided support to the establishment of local government administrations.
