The African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) condemns Saturday’s incident in which five senior military officers – four from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and one from Bahrain, were shot dead at the General Gordon Military Base, operated by the UAE.

“On behalf of ATMIS, I condemn in the strongest terms the attack on the military trainers and Somali soldiers at the Base, who were working towards advancing Somalia’s security efforts. I extend our heartfelt condolences to the government of the UAE, and to the families, relatives, and friends who lost their loved ones, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” said the African Union Special Representative for Somalia, Ambassador Mohamed El-Amine Souef.

ATMIS remains deeply committed to working with the people, the Federal Government of Somalia, and international partners in the fight against terrorism.