AMISOM issues an order for AU troops not to enter Halane compound

[Deeq A.]

Troops with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have been given a directive not to enter Halane – a sprawling heavily secured compound in Mogadishu that is home to aid workers, international diplomats and the African Union peacekeepers, according to a well-placed security official who has asked for anonymity.

The UN-built compound is separated by a security wall that restricts movement between Halane and the rest of Mogadishu. It is considered by many as an extension of Aden Adde International Airport

It is not yet known why the order was given or when the directive will take effect, with some only speculating that it was a “security issue”.

HOL has reached out to AMISOM for comment but has not yet received a response.

AMISOM announced on Sunday that it has begun plans for the gradual reduction of troops in Somalia.

An AU official said in a statement that the first phase of the transition plan would last four years and Somalia’s ability to hold peaceful, credible and safe one-person-one-vote elections in 2020 will be the measuring stick on how successful the troop drawdown is performing.

AMISOM is comprised of troops drawn from Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya.