The FOB, located in the Hirshabelle State, is now the logistics base
for the Burundi contingent who exited and handed over Maslah FOB to the
Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) on January 21, 2023.
When fully completed, the Bal’ad FOB will serve both ATMIS Burundi
forces and the Somali National Army (SNA) in the Hirshabelle State.
The delegation visited the FOB early last week and was received by
the ATMIS Sector 5 Commander, Brig. Gen Jean Claude Niyiburana. They
also held discussions with community elders led by the Bal’ad District
Commissioner, Kassim Ali Nur and the Ugas, Mohamed Hussein.
“Our visit today is to assess the next steps in terms of constructing
defense positions in Bal’ad and to engage with local leaders and the
civilian population to identify areas of mutual cooperation,” said the
ATMIS Acting Force Commander, Brig. Gen. Omola.
The Acting Force Commander thanked the Burundian forces stationed in
Bal’ad for strengthening the security of the FOB since their relocation
from Maslah on January 15, 2023. He assured the soldiers that the
conditions of the FOB would be improved to enable them to operate
effectively.
The Bal’ad District Commissioner (DC), Kassim Ali Nur, welcomed the
team and spoke about several issues including the ongoing fight against
Al-Shabaab militants.
“We discussed how we can coordinate on security, how the forces and
the local administration can work together, how to improve relations
between the public and the security forces in the fight against
terrorists and how to fast-track the ongoing expansion of the base,”
said the District Commissioner.
The Ugas for Bal’ad, Mohamed Hussein, thanked ATMIS for choosing the
district as one of its key logistical hubs and pledged their commitment
to work closely with the forces to improve security in the region.
“We welcome the delegation that visited us today, the forces who were
here before as well as the new forces who relocated from Maslah. We had
good working relations with the previous forces, and we will continue
to support the new forces because they are our neighbours,” said Ugas
Mohamed Hussein.
The delegation included an Advisor to SRCC and Head of Mission, Maj.
Gen. Fidza Dludlu; Military Chief of Staff, Brig. Gen. Teggegn Kindu
Gezu; Civil Engineer, Andrew Alele; Chief Force Engineer, Col. Davidson
Nwogu; Civil Affairs Officer and Team Coordinator in Sector 5,
Christopher Aria; Senior Communications Officer, Gifty Bingley; and the
Joint Support Operations Centre (JSOC) Officer, Maxmillian Oketch,
Located approximately 39km north of Mogadishu along the main
Mogadishu-Jowhar Road, Bal’ad is a strategic town noted for agriculture,
livestock, and marine resources.
