Kismayo - The United Nations Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS) has reiterated its commitment to decentralizing logistical support to bolster the operational capabilities of both the African Union peacekeeping forces and the Somali Security Forces (SSF).

"Our visit aims to directly engage with our clients and teams, better understanding their needs and improving our support mechanisms," stated Ms. Qurat Ul -Ain Sadozai, Director of Mission Support at UNSOS, during a trip to Kismayo in Jubaland State.

Ms. Sadozai held meetings with UN officials, senior military Officers from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and the Somali National Army (SNA) and also visited the UNSOS warehouse in Kismayo.

“As a logistics arm, our focus is on providing faster and more agile support to our clients, ensuring that their operations are supported efficiently,” emphasized Ms. Sadozai.

 The clients appreciated the support provided as part of the decentralized set up enhancing efficiency and timely support.

The Director visited Kismayo to review the operations and the implementation of the decentralization processes, capacity building efforts, the priorities outlined by the Assistant Secretary-General, as well as to assess any potential challenges affecting the delivery of UNSOS mandate.

  “As part of our transition initiative, we have positioned our stocks closer to the field to ensure agile and faster support. This approach enables our colleagues to access critical items directly at the field level, significantly enhancing our efficient support for the Somali Security Force (SSF) and African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS),” noted Ms. Sadozai.

 The Director recognized the efforts of the team in Kismayo appreciating all the work that had been done by the team in advancing on the decentralization initiative.

In his remarks, Col. Noor Mahad Hassan, the Commander of the 11th Brigade of the 43rd division of the Somali National Army (SNA), hailed UNSOS for its support to the ongoing operations. 

“The support from UNSOS is critical in significantly facilitating and assisting our security forces. This support is invaluable to our operations and overall effectiveness,” Col. Noor said.

ATMIS Sector Six Operations Officer who is also the acting Sector Commander, Lt. Col David Kiprotich, also appreciated UNSOS’ role in the operational successes of the ATMIS forces.   

“UNSOS has been instrumental in providing logistics support, including ration supplies, infrastructure maintenance, and aviation support to our Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). Their timely and critical support has played a significant role in our operational success,” said Lt. Col Kiprotich. 

UN Security Council Resolution 2710 authorizes UNSOS to provide logistical support to 18,900 SSF personnel on joint or coordinated operations with ATMIS.