NR No: 004 Date: 06/AUG/2023

SHOTLIST: ATMIS, Frontline States agree to enhance collaboration on security

DURATION: 3:12

SOURCE: ATMIS PUBLIC INFORMATION.

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATURAL SOUND

DATELINE: 06/AUGUST/2023, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot-Flags of Somalia and frontline states of Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya
2. Med shot - AU Special Representative for Somalia and Head of ATMIS, Ambassador
Mohamed El-Amine Souef, ATMIS Force Commander Lt. Gen Sam Okiding and the
Commander of the Frontline States Taskforce, Gen. Mohamed Bariise, in a meeting
at the Task Force’s Joint Operations Centre in Mogadishu.
3. Med shot – Commander of the Frontline States Taskforce, Gen.Bariise.
4. Close up shot – Commander of the Frontline States Taskforce Gen. Bariise, listening
to Amb. Souef.
5. Med shot – Amb.Souef, speaking at the meeting.
6. Close up shot – Senior commanders of the Frontline States Taskforce at the
meeting.
7. Med shot - Senior commanders of the Frontline States Taskforce at the meeting.
8. Wide shot – Lt. Gen Okiding speaking at the meeting.
9. Wide shot - The meeting at the Frontline States Taskforce Joint Operations Centre in
Mogadishu.
10. SOUNDBITE: (English) Amb. Mohamed El-Amine Souef, AU Special
Representative for Somalia and Head of ATMIS
“Operation Black Lion is a regional approach that will complement government and
ATMIS efforts as the enemy is the same. Somalia’s security today can negatively

For more information please contact:

Snr. Communications Officer or Force Spokesperson
Ms. Gifty Bingley or Lt. Col. Abdullahi Ganale, Email: au-amisomhom@africa-union.org
Cell phone: (Somalia) +252 617 682 175/+252 613 665 356; (Nairobi) +254 722 586 005
Web: atmis-au.org | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
 impact Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and even Uganda. So, we agreed to intensify our
coordination.”

11. Wide shot - The meeting at the Frontline States Taskforce Joint Operations Centre.
12. Close up shot – A senior Frontline States Taskforce officer at the meeting.

13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Gen. Mohamed Bariise, Commander of the Frontline

States Task Force
“This is the right time, and the main objective of this Operation Black Lion is to
downgrade Al-Shabaab to a level where they cannot pose a threat to the state and
the region.”

14. Med shot – Amb. Souef and Lt. Gen Okiding.

15. SOUNDBITE (English) Lt. Gen Sam Okiding, ATMIS Force Commander
“As ATMIS, I can only promise that we are ready to give a hand when needed. Also,
we shall soon have another meeting to look into the details of the entire plan. We are
doing all this to ensure that our brothers in Somalia take full security responsibility of
the country.”

16. Wide shot – Amb. Souef leaving the room after the meeting.
17. Med shot – ATMIS and Frontline States Task Force officials in a group photo.
18. Wide shot – ATMIS and Frontline States Task Force officials in a group photo.

ATMIS, Frontline States agree to enhance collaboration on security

Mogadishu, 6 August 2023 -The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia

(ATMIS) and the Frontline States Task Force - a regional security initiative by
countries bordering Somalia - have agreed to strengthen collaboration in the fight
against Al-Shabaab.

The resolution was made at a meeting held on Sunday in the Somali capital,
Mogadishu, between the Head of ATMIS, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef,
the ATMIS Force Commander, Lt. Gen Sam Okiding, and the Commander of the
Frontline States Task Force, Gen. Mohamed Bariise.

For more information please contact:

Snr. Communications Officer or Force Spokesperson
Ms. Gifty Bingley or Lt. Col. Abdullahi Ganale, Email: au-amisomhom@africa-union.org
Cell phone: (Somalia) +252 617 682 175/+252 613 665 356; (Nairobi) +254 722 586 005
Web: atmis-au.org | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
Early this year, Somalia and its neighbours (Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya) agreed to
conduct a significant joint military offensive against Al-Shabaab dubbed “Operation
Black Lion” to liberate remaining territories under the militants’ control to not only
stabilise the Horn of Africa country but also secure the region.

The agreement was reached at a summit hosted by Somalia’s President Hassan

Sheikh Mohamud and attended by the Heads of State of Kenya, Djibouti and
Ethiopia.

“Operation Black Lion is a regional approach that will complement the Federal
Government of Somalia and ATMIS’ efforts as the enemy [Al Shabaab] is the same,”
said Ambassador Souef.

The Sunday meeting also agreed to intensify information sharing, joint planning and
coordination in all military offensives against Al Shabaab both inside and outside
Somalia.

“Somalia’s security today can negatively impact Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and even
Uganda hence we agreed to intensify our coordination,” he added.

Ambassador Souef reiterated ATMIS’ commitment to supporting the initiative to help

it succeed in stabilising Somalia and the region.

The Task Force Commanders briefed the ATMIS leadership on the force’s
operations and future plans.

“This is the right time, and the main objective of Operation Black Lion is to degrade
Al-Shabaab to a level where they can no longer pose a threat to the state and the
region,” said Gen. Mohamed Bariise.

For more information please contact:

Snr. Communications Officer or Force Spokesperson
Ms. Gifty Bingley or Lt. Col. Abdullahi Ganale, Email: au-amisomhom@africa-union.org
Cell phone: (Somalia) +252 617 682 175/+252 613 665 356; (Nairobi) +254 722 586 005
Web: atmis-au.org | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube
The ATMIS Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Okiding, said the Frontline Task Force is a
well-thought-out plan that complements ATMIS’ mandate to degrade Al-Shabaab.

“We are ready to give a hand when needed. We shall soon hold another meeting to
look into the details of the entire plan. We are doing all this to ensure that our
brothers in Somalia take full security responsibility for the country,” said Lt. Gen.
Okiding.

The “Operation Black Lion” offensive will help facilitate the drawdown of ATMIS
troops and the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to Somali security forces.
------/Ends

For more information please contact:

Snr. Communications Officer or Force Spokesperson
Ms. Gifty Bingley or Lt. Col. Abdullahi Ganale, Email: au-amisomhom@africa-union.org
Cell phone: (Somalia) +252 617 682 175/+252 613 665 356; (Nairobi) +254 722 586 005
Web: atmis-au.org | Follow Us: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube