Gen. Guti, Sharif discuss Somali security

By Henry Mukasa in Mogadishu

The president of Somali, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed has met the new commander of the Africa Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), Lt. Gen. Andrew Guti with whom they discussed the security situation in the war torn country.

The meeting at Villa Somalia in Migadishu was also attended by the AMISOM police commissioner, Dr Charles Makono and the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission in Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi .

President Sharif told journalists after the meeting that he had discussed with the officers the security situation. AMISOM has routed the Al shabab militants fighting Sharif’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG) from Mogadishu and is now spreading its sphere of operations outside the town.

“We welcome them and shall support them,” Sharif commented. “We all acknowledge there is progress in the pacification of the country and need to applaud AMISOM. We need to build on that progress and move forward so that the Somali people can once again live in peace,” Sharif observed.

The President pointed out that the Somali people are happy with the efforts of AMISOM  to bring peace to Somalia which has been almost stateless since 1992. He said in the fore-going period much emphasis will be put on building the security systems and institutions of Somalia.

The President disclosed that his last trip to Kampala that coincided with commanders of the Land Forces in Africa conference in Munyonyo was to mop up more support for AMISOM. “Very much so,” he answered when asked whether he had come to Kampala to mobilize for more troops. “As you are aware those countries are supportive of amisom.”

Guti took over the AMISOM command from Maj. Gen. Fred Mugisha on May 2, 2012 and now leads the over 10,000 troops Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commissione in Somalia. The AU and backed by the UN to pacify Somalia.