The Head of the African Union Mission for Somalia (AMISOM), Ambassador Francisco Madeira, on Thursday reported on the progress Somalia has made in economic recovery, inclusive politics, and security through containing terrorism, dialogue and reconciliation, state building, reconstruction and recovery.

In the area of inclusive politics, Ambassador Madeira said there have been encouraging signs of progress on reconciliation and dialogue processes at the state and local levels, and a degree of readiness by the Federal Government and Federal Member States to move forward on key national issues.

Ambassador Madeira also highlighted recent AMISOM security gains that degraded and disrupted Al-Shabaab's operational capabilities across Somalia, including the March 16 Operation BADBAADO that dislodged the terrorists from the bridge town of Janaale in Lower Shabelle.

Madeira said the recent successes in Lower Shabelle were possible because of the generation of a professional Somali national force that relieved AMISOM forces to other areas where they created mobile units that have made a difference.

However, Ambassador Madeira warned that if the process of generating sufficient, well trained, well equipped and regularly paid Somali security forces does not speed up, the country may not, by the end of 2021, be able to achieve the goal of producing a critical mass of Somali forces capable of taking over from AMISOM, hold and preserve the gains accumulated over the years.slowib