UNITED NATIONS, (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Tuesday
adopted a resolution to extend the authorization for the African Union
Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) for six months, till Dec. 31,
2023.
Resolution 2687, which won the unanimous support of the
15-member council, requests ATMIS to prioritize three activities:
maintaining enabling support for peace and security in Somalia to ensure
a sustainable transition, supporting Somali-led operations against
Al-Shabaab, and preparing for its smooth drawdown and exit from Somalia
as planned.
The resolution allows the phase 1 drawdown of 2,000
uniformed personnel by Sept. 30, 2023, and a further drawdown of 3,000
uniformed personnel by Dec. 31, 2023.
Resolution 2687 requests
an update from the African Union and the Somali government by Sept. 15,
2023, on preparations for phase 2 drawdown. The resolution affirms the
Security Council's readiness to review the pace of the drawdown in light
of the update. ■