STORY: AMISOM troops advance mission’s mandate

despite COVID-19 disruptions

DURATION: 5:11
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 30/JULY/2020, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, troops preparing for an offensive

2. Close up shot, military vehicles
3. Wide shot, military vehicles
4. Wide shot, a convoy
5. Med shot, a civilian vehicle passes by a military convoy
6. Med shot, camels
7. Med shot, soldiers with their guns
8. Wide shot, a convoy
9. Med shot, a convoy
10. Med shot, Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent Commander of Ugandan
troops serving under AMISOM
11. Close up shot, UPDF badge
12. Close up shot, Brig. Gen. Richard Otto
13. Close up shot, African Union armband
14. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent Commander of
Ugandan troops serving under AMISOM
“I have troops who were supposed to rotate out but have not because of this
situation. Most of the countries have restricted their airspaces and border posts, but
this is aimed at protecting and controlling the spread of the disease from other
countries. My troops have been informed and they are aware. It has not affected
their morale. They are not worried because the problem is if you imagine their
families were dying and they are receiving phone calls- that definitely was going to
affect their morale. But the situation has been managed both at home and here and
they know it’s a question of time; when the situation improves they will be released
to go home,”

15. Wide shot, soldiers on patrol

16. Med shot, soldiers on patrol
17. Close up shot, a soldier loading bombs
18. Wide shot, bombs launching
19. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent Commander of
Ugandan troops serving under AMISOM
“All the main supply routes under my sector are all operational. Vehicles continue to
move, even civilians’ vehicles continue to move from Lower Shabelle into Mogadishu
and from Mogadishu back to those towns, including Janaale, Marka, up to Baraawe,”

20. Med shot, Brig. Gen. Richard Otto

21. Close up shot, signing a document
22. Close up shot, Brig. Gen. Richard Otto
23. Wide shot, Brig. Gen. Richard Otto reading a document
24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent Commander of
Ugandan troops serving under AMISOM
“When we captured Janaale, we found a big local factory for manufacturing
Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Since Janaale was captured by AMISOM, the
situation has changed completely because Al-Shabaab is no longer free to cross River
Shabelle from the northern part and come to the southern part because that was the
only bridge town remaining on the River Shabelle under the enemy,”

25. Med shot, soldiers loading bombs

26. Wide shot, SNA soldiers
27. Close up shot, SNA soldiers
28. Wide shot, SNA soldiers
29. Wide shot, bridge
30. Med shot, bridge
31. Close up shot, collapsed bridge
32. Wide shot, collapsed bridge
33. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent Commander of
Ugandan troops serving under AMISOM
“Al-Shabaab have lost ground; they don’t have a particular area where you will go
and find Al-Shabaab only. They always hide within the population. They use mortars
to shell the population,”

34. Wide shot, SNA soldiers

35. Med shot, SNA soldiers
36. Wide shot, SNA soldiers
37. Med shot, SNA soldiers
38. Wide shot, SNA soldiers
39. Close up shot, SNA soldiers
40. SOUNDBITE: (English) Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent Commander of
Ugandan troops serving under AMISOM
“So with SNA, we are happy that they are now strong enough, especially in holding
some of the liberated areas, like the towns which were captured last year. They are
now under the Somali National Army,”

41. Wide shot, SNA soldiers

42. Med shot, SNA soldiers
43. Wide shot, SNA soldiers
44. Med shot, SNA soldiers

45. Wide shot, AMISOM soldiers on patrol

AMISOM troops advance mission’s mandate despite COVID-19 disruptions

Mogadishu, 01 August 2020—The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) says

its troops have remained steadfast and continue to implement the mission’s
mandate despite reducing troop numbers early this year and the disruptions brought
by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early this year, AMISOM had to reduce troop numbers by 1000, spread across all the
five Troop Contributing Countries, but Brig. Gen. Richard Otto, the Contingent
Commander of Sector 1 troops, said this had not affected operations in his area of
responsibility. Since December 2017, AMISOM has been reducing its troop numbers
in line with relevant UN Security Council decisions. Ugandan troops are in charge of
Sector 1, which includes Lower Shabelle region and Mogadishu.

Additionally, due to the global corona virus pandemic, Sector 1 has had to put on
hold the rotation of its troops both in and out of the mission but Gen. Otto noted
that this has not affected operations or dampened the morale of the troops.

“I have troops who were supposed to rotate out but have not because of this
situation. Most of the countries have restricted their airspaces and border posts, but
this is aimed at protecting and controlling the spread of the disease from other
countries. My troops have been informed and they are aware. It has not affected
their morale,” Gen. Otto explained.

Gen. Otto said his troops are maintaining all their locations, continuing with
offensive missions against Al-Shabaab and are protecting population centers and
main supply routes.

“All the main supply routes under my sector are operational. Vehicles continue to
move, even civilian vehicles continue to move from Lower Shabelle into Mogadishu
and from Mogadishu back to those towns, including Janaale, Marka, up to Baraawe,”
General Otto said.

Speaking at the AMISOM Sector One Headquarters in Mogadishu, Gen. Otto said
counter offensive operations that resulted in the capture of major bridge towns,
especially of Janaale, in the Lower Shabelle region of Somalia early this year had
dealt a huge blow to Al Shabaab, denying the militants freedom of movement and
operation, and seriously curtailing their ability to wage war.

“When we captured Janaale, we found a big local factory for manufacturing

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Since Janaale was captured by AMISOM, the
situation has changed completely because Al-Shabaab is no longer free to cross River
Shabelle from the northern part and come to the southern part because that was the
only bridge town remaining on the River Shabelle under the militants,” Gen. Otto
explained.

Uganda AMISOM Forces, together with the Somali National Army (SNA) last year
launched operation Badbaado, capturing four key bridge towns-Sabiid-Anole, Bariire,
Ceel Saliini and Awdegle, and culminating in the capture of Janaale in March 2020.

Following a string of defeats, Gen. Otto said that Al-Shabaab has now resorted to
using IEDs and shelling mortars, which have often landed in population centers and
caused harm to innocent civilians.

“Al-Shabaab have lost ground; they don’t have a particular area where you will go
and find Al-Shabaab only. They always hide within the population. They use mortars
to shell the population,” the General said.

Gen. Otto said that a key factor in the fight against Al Shabaab has been the
increasing capabilities of the Somali National Army, as seen by the SNA’s capacity to
fight and hold ground.

The increasing role of SNA is in line with the revised AMISOM Concept of Operations
(CONOPS 2018-2021) and is also guided by the Somalia Transition Plan (STP). The
Somalia Transition Plan is a comprehensive guide developed by the Federal
Government of Somalia and its partners for the transfer of security responsibility to
Somali National Security Forces ahead of AMISOM’s anticipated exit from the
country.

“So with SNA, we are happy that they are now strong enough, especially in holding
some of the liberated areas, like the towns which were captured last year. They are
now under the Somali National Army,” the General said.