'AMISOM, TFG information sharing will improve terrorism combating in Somalia'

Khartoum, Sudan (PANA) - The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and the country's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) have launched a Joint Fusion and Liaison Unit (UFL) to ensure timely information sharing, according to an AMISOM press statement which was received by PANA on Wednesday.

It said the move would improve coordination between the TFG and AMISOM to deal with emerging security threats.

The statement quoted the head of AMISOM Mission Analysis Cell, Mr. Fred Ngoga Gatereste, as saying that the establishment of the unit, which was suggested by the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Boubacar Gaoussou Diara, "will allow AMISOM and the TFG to have the same understanding of the situation and take timely action to prevent Al-Shabaab’s terrorist actions."

He said: “Information sharing is already bearing fruits as the joint AMISOM-TFG operations have caused the defeat of Al-Shabaab terrorists in the Daynile area with minimum casualties on our side. The Joint Fusion and Liaison Unit will further strengthen our coordination as we liberate more areas from Al-Shabaab terrorists.”

The statement added that Somalia’s National Security Agency (SNSA) director, Ahmed Fiqi, also welcomed the inauguration of the UFL, saying “it will further enhance the strategic working relationship we have with AMISOM and ultimately assist our forces in the war against Al Qaeda.”

The Head of Prevention Alert from the African Centre for Research on Terrorism (ACSRT), Mr. Idriss Mounir Lallali, was quoted as saying that  “This unit will be very useful. We have seen the benefits of such units in the Sahel."

He explained that the establishment of the UFL followed the recommendation made during the Information Sharing Meeting held in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2010.
-0- PANA MO/VAO 4April2012