On behalf of the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the African Union Commission, H.E Amb Bankole Adeoye, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has handed over laptops, desktop computers, printers, UPS batteries and photocopiers to the Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT) and the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, as part of support to Somalia’s electoral process and to the advancement of women’s rights.

The items were handed over, on the behalf of Amb. Bankole Adeoye, by the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia (DSRCC), Hon. Simon Mulongo, on Thursday 4 November 2021 at the AMISOM Mission Headquarters in Mogadishu. The equipment was received, on behalf of the Federal Government of Somalia, by the Chairman of the Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT), Mohamed Hassan Ciro.

The donation of Information Technology equipment is part of the overall electoral assistance by the African Union Commission and AMISOM following a request from the Office of the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Federal Electoral Implementation Team, and the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development. 

The multipronged electoral assistance includes the deployment of three senior African electoral experts to provide continuous technical advisory support to FEIT; conducting capacity building workshops on citizen election observation as well as media monitoring of elections; financial support to FEIT in fulfilment of their mandate;  capacity building support for enhanced participation of women in the electoral process in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development; provision of ICT equipment for the FEIT and the Federal Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development as part of operational support to these institutions. 

The three senior African electoral experts have been in Somalia since September 2021 providing advisory support to the FEIT and supporting other capacity building initiatives.

“We stand by you, the people of Somalia. AMISOM military component has already done its security plan across our Areas of Responsibility together with the Somali Security forces with oversight from the Office of the Prime Minister to ensure elections go on undisrupted,” said the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo.

“AMISOM’s Police component, together with the Somali Police Force (SPF), will be much closer to you during the polls. They are supporting the SPF and will provide immediate security and ensure there is order in polling areas,” he added. 

The Chairman of the Federal Electoral Implementation Team (FEIT), Mohamed Hassan Ciro, said the equipment was a major boost to FEIT in its quest to hold credible elections. 

“We warmly receive this donation meant for the electoral agency and a Federal Ministry in the Somali government. The equipment has come at the right time as it will help us perform our work more efficiently,” said Ciro.

In attendance at the handover ceremony were various officials, including Col. Kennedy Okoro, Ms. Titi Pitso and Mr. Ahmed Issack Hassan of the AUC Electoral Assistance Mission to Somalia; Deputy AMISOM Force Commander in-charge of Operations and Plans, Maj. Gen. William Kitsao Shume; AMISOM Police Commissioner, AIGP Augustine Magnus Kailie; Commissioner for International Relations of FEIT, Saido Mohammed Musiid; Commissioner in charge of Logistics for FEIT, Muse Gelle Yussuf and AMISOM Political Affairs Officer, Sayid Ali Hersi.