From 20 to 24 June, UNOAU in collaboration with the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), provided technical support to the African Union (AU) in the design and development of a pre-deployment training package for the newly mandated AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS). This activity took place in accordance with the UN logistical support package for ATMIS which mandates UNSOS to monitor and verify the AU-UN mandatory pre-deployment trainings conducted by ATMIS troop and police contributing countries (T/PCCs). ATMIS T/PCCs are responsible for ensuring that all contingents deploying to Somalia are fully compliant with the Secretary-General’s Human Rights Due Diligence Policy. The objective of the workshop was to redesign a mission specific pre-deployment training curriculum for T/PCCs preparing to deploy into Somalia based on the mandated tasks indicated in the newly passed UNSCR 2628 (2022). The workshop was attended by subject matter experts from the AU, UNSOS, ATMIS and UNOAU. It is expected that the newly developed training package will be piloted and validated by July. Thereafter, mobile training teams comprising facilitators from UNSOS, ATMIS, UNOAU and AU will organise training of trainer programmes for all ATMIS TCC/PCCs. 

Previously from 23 to 24 May, UNOAU had facilitated and actively participated in consultative meetings between the UN and AU on implementation of the ATMIS mandate. The two-day meetings took place in Addis Ababa and focused on internal consultations within UNOAU and broader engagements with the AU Peace Support Operations Division (AUPSOD), including a virtual meeting with AU colleagues attending the AU summit in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. The engagements underscored the need to map out the implementation of UNSCR 2628 (2022) and the various work streams which need to be in place, before convening the next Quartet meeting. Note was taken of some of the emerging concerns of the AU regarding financing and logistical support to ATMIS which were supposed to be addressed at the principal level Quartet meeting originally scheduled for April. However, this meeting could not take place due to unforeseen circumstances.

During discussions note was also taken of the current state of financing for ATMIS, including the contributions from the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) and the current financial gap resulting from a previous cut in EU funding. On the logistical support to ATMIS, participants were concerned that there had been no response from the AU on the draft logistics concept that was shared with the AU earlier, as requested under papa 37 of UNSCR 2628 (2022). It was agreed that UNOAU should continue to liaise with AUPSOD to facilitate the AU’s response. Participants were also informed of the establishment of a transition cell by the United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) in Mogadishu to work with ATMIS on the reconfiguration of the AU mission.

The UN is now awaiting direction from the AU/ATMIS on the details of the reconfiguration plan and on possible changes to the logistical support plan. As a way forward, it was agreed that a roadmap for the implementation of UNSCR 2628 (2022) mapping out all the deliverables as per the resolution, their respective deadlines, as well as responsibilities for each deliverable would be developed. Finally, the following upcoming key milestones were identified: a) Completion of the ATMIS reconfiguration plan; b) Finalization of the logistical support plan; c) AU report to the UNSC due in July; d) Development of the conditions-based benchmarks due in September; e) Drawdown of 2,000 forces due in December; and f) Technical benchmarking exercise due in February 2023. The completion of the roadmap would inform the next Quartet meeting at principal-level.