EU extends mandate of training mission in Somalia

The European Union (EU) Council has extended the mandate of the EU training mission in Somalia (EUTM-Somalia) a further two years. The previous and second mandate was due to end this February.

This means that the mission will continue training Somali soldiers with the hope that they can ultimately take over security responsibilities in the war-torn country.

The new mandate ends on March 31, 2015 and is estimated to cost 11.6 million euros.

According to a statement from the EU delegation here Tuesday, the new mandate, unlike the previous two, requires the mission to also provide political and strategic advice to the Somali Ministry of Defence and the Chief of Defence Forces.

Provision of specialised military training and mentoring in the training domain also features in the new mandate, which will also see the mission gradually move its training activities from Bihanga in western Uganda to Somalia, depending on security conditions.

The EU's ambassador to Uganda, Roberto Ridolfi, said the shift laid the foundation of a Somali-owned military training system, with basic and specialised military training taking place in Somalia. It is part of the EUs comprehensive approach for a stable, democratic, and prosperous Somalia, he said.

As a result of the new mandate, Colonel Michael Beary, who has been commander of the mission for the past 17 months, has had to hand over his assignments to Brigadier-General Gerald Aherne from Ireland.

Col. Beary said since the EUTM Somalia operations started in February 2010, the mission has trained about 3,000 Somali troops in Bihanga. On Friday we are passing out the fourth intake of more 551 young Somali men and women, he added. "They arrived in Uganda last July. They are now ready to return home in Somalia as part of the Somali National Armed Forces.