Beletweyne, (SONNA) – The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia
(ATMIS) Deputy Force Commander in charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen.
Marius Ngendabanka on Wednesday visited Mission troops in Beletweyne to assess
their welfare.
Under the ATMIS military sectorization, Beletweyne is the headquarters of Sector
Four which is manned by Djiboutian and Ethiopian troops. It also includes the Hiraan
region where ATMIS and Somali National Army (SNA) troops have in the recent past
recovered swathes of territory that were formerly under the control of Al-Shabaab
militants and their allies.
“We are here to assess the welfare of our troops. One of the areas we have visited is
the Level 2 Hospital, which is doing a wonderful job of treating ATMIS and Somali
Security Forces (SSF) personnel, as well as the local communities who live in the
surrounding areas,” said Maj. Gen. Ngendabanka who is also the acting Force
Commander.
Maj. Gen. Ngendabanka held discussions with the sector commanders and
inspected some of the Sector Four facilities critical in providing logistical support to
troops on the frontline.
He commended the Djiboutian and Ethiopian contingents for their support to the
SNA in the offensive against Al-Shabaab militants and ensuring the security and
stability of Beletweyne and its environs.
On his part, Sector Four Commander, Col. Hassan Djama Farah highlighted the
progress made in the fight against Al-Shabaab and the challenges encountered in
the ongoing military offensive.
“The visit by the Deputy Force Commander is aimed at boosting the morale of the
troops and assessing their readiness for the ongoing and upcoming operations. The
delegation also visited the Level 2 Hospital, to assess its condition and deliberated
on other logistical issues,” said Col. Farah.
Maj. Gen. Ngendabanka was accompanied by the Deputy Force Commander in
charge of Logistics and Support Maj. Gen. Peter Kimani Muteti and other senior
ATMIS officials.
