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In a significant operational milestone, Ethiopian AUSSOM troops withdraw from Buurhakaba district after nearly twelve years of continuous deployment, formally transferring security oversight of the strategic forward operating base to the Somali National Army. The official handover, facilitated with technical and logistical support from the United Nations Support Office in Somalia, saw African Union peacekeeping personnel under Sector 3 command hand over full operational control to soldiers from the Somali National Army’s 60th Division. Located roughly 185 kilometers northwest of Mogadishu along the vital highway connecting the capital to Baidoa, Buurhakaba serves as a critical strategic junction in the Bay region.
The scheduled transfer marks a notable step in Somalia’s broader transition toward self-directed national defense and security leadership. Ethiopian forces had maintained a persistent military presence at the facility since 2014, acting as a primary anchor against insurgent activity across surrounding commercial transit corridors. According to official statements issued by the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia, the base transition forms part of a phased drawdown framework designed to empower domestic security institutions to manage frontline territorial defense independently.
While federal defense officials welcomed the national army’s assumption of command, the transition arrives during a delicate period for regional security architecture. Regional analysts note that Buurhakaba remains heavily encircled by insurgent positions, raising local concerns regarding supply chain continuity and long-term defensive capacity along the Baidoa corridor. Regional government representatives have expressed cautious optimism, stressing that national forces will require sustained equipment pipelines, air support, and structural coordination to maintain stability across the Bay region as foreign troop contingents realign across southern Somalia.
As the African Union mission continues executing its gradual drawdown timeline ahead of its mandate conclusion, military command structures in Mogadishu remain focused on reinforcing newly assumed posts. Federal defense spokespersons reaffirmed their commitment to safeguarding liberated communities, securing major economic transit arteries, and demonstrating that domestic armed forces possess the operational readiness to defend vital national infrastructure independently.