Thursday July 13, 2023
FILE - The Somali National Army and ATMIS forces during a handover ceremony at the Geriley base at Elwaq district in Gedo region on June 30, 2023.
Kismayo (HOL) — Al-Shabab, the Islamist extremist group based in Somalia, claimed to have seized the pivotal Geriley military base in the Gedo region, a move that, if confirmed, underscores an escalating trend of violence in the area and sparks concerns over the nation's security amid the African Transitional Mission in Somalia's (ATMIS) planned drawdown.
Al-Shabab's Thursday announcement of a multi-pronged assault on the Geriley base has yet to be independently corroborated. However, it represents the latest in a series of attacks, including a significant assault on a Ugandan-manned base in Bulo Marer, escalating fears of increasing regional instability.
These developments unfold against the backdrop of ATMIS's transition plan. The mission, under UN Security Council Resolutions 2628 and 2670, seeks to transfer security responsibilities to Somali national forces. Consequently, seven Forward Operating Bases, including Geriley, are now under Somali Security Forces' control. This transition permitted the reduction of 2,000 ATMIS troops by late June, with an additional 3,000 due for withdrawal by September.
Al-Shabab has been engaged in a long-standing deadly insurgency against the internationally-backed Somali government for over 15 years.