The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics, Maj. Gen. Peter Kimani Muteti, on Tuesday, visited troops in Baidoa, Southwest State, to assess their welfare and the ongoing military operations in the region. 

Under the ATMIS military sectorization, Baidoa is the headquarters of Sector Three which is manned by Ethiopian troops. 

“The purpose of my visit here is to get a first-hand experience of the security and political situation and at the same time, visit the troops in the field,” said Maj.Gen. Muteti. 

“One of the greatest obligations of a commander, is to motivate his troops, and we do that often by visiting them in the field to get a feel of their experiences; how they are conducting their operations, and what their challenges are.” he added. 

Maj. Gen. Muteti, who was accompanied by top military officers from the ATMIS Force Headquarters in Mogadishu, was received by the commander of ATMIS Ethiopian troops, Brig. Gen. Besfat Fente Tegegn. 

He inspected a guard of honor mounted by ATMIS troops and inspected various facilities, before holding a meeting with Brig. Gen. Tegegn and other top military commanders, who briefed him on the ongoing military operations and the overall security situation in the region. 

The Deputy Force Commander hailed the Ethiopian troops for advancing the mission’s mandate and maintaining peace and security in the region by conducting operations against the Al-Shabaab, urging them to remain steadfast in the implementation of the missions’ mandate. 

Additionally, he appealed to the ATMIS troops to continue collaborating with the local community and observe the rules of engagement, including the protection of civilians during their operations. 

Ethiopia is one of the ATMIS troop-contributing countries alongside Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, and Uganda. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).