On 18-22 June, the Head of the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), Assistant Secretary-General Aisa Kirabo Kacyira, undertook an inaugural visit to Addis Ababa to meet with senior officials of the Federal Government of Ethiopia, as well as with the African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), Bankole Adeoye.

During her visit, she also met with the Ambassadors of the European Union, the United Kingdom, the Union of the Comoros who is also serving as the Chair of the AU Permanent Representatives’ Committee (PRC) for 2023, the Federal Republic of Somalia and the Chargé d'Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Ethiopia. In addition, she met with the Ambassadors, or their representatives, of African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) Troop Contributing Countries (TCC), along with Dr. Sarjoh Bah, Director of Conflict Management within the PAPS Department of the African Union Commission (AUC).

She also met with the Special Representative of the Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, Hanna Tetteh, and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the AU (SRSG) and Head of UNOAU, Parfait Onanga-Ayanga, and in a closing meeting with UNOAU staff members the ASG UNSOS reiterated that: the UN family should strive to keep a focus on and emphasize the positive aspects of the narrative on the situation in Somalia; that UNOAU and UNSOS need to work closely with ATMIS including supporting the upcoming Joint Technical Assessment which will be key to an assessment of the current security situation in Somalia; and she underscored the importance of joint UNOAU/UNSOS support to key stakeholder engagement including in coordination with the African Union.