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 Beledweyne to assess their welfare. Under the ATMIS military sectorisation, Beledweyne is the headquarters of Sector Four which is manned by Djiboutian and Ethiopian troops. It also includes the Hiiraan 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 Beledweyne 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.
