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AU urges Somalis to implement projects in recovered areas

MOGADISHU, The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) has called on Somalis to play a greater role in implementation of quick impact projects (QIPs) in areas recovered from al-Shabab.

In a statement issued on Thursday after a three-day meeting, the AU mission stressed the importance of promoting local ownership of the projects and increased local involvement in the community projects.

“We are also going to work with the Somalis, particularly in the recovered areas to ensure the activities that we do between the time of recovery, up to nine months, are carried out in manner that will be able to support the transition process in Somalia,” said Opiyo Ododa, an AMISOM Senior Civil Affairs Officer.

QIPs are small-scale, low-cost programs that are planned and implemented within a short period of time and have a rapid positive impact on targeted communities.

The forum attended by resource persons from AMISOM, the AU Commission from Ethiopia and other stakeholders noted that inclusion of Somalis in the execution of QIPs was crucial in facilitating the transition of responsibilities from AMISOM to local communities.

The meeting resolved to implement sustainable and justifiable projects accessible to local populations, strengthen communication among stakeholders through periodic meetings and ensure timely implementation and mainstreaming gender issues

“As AMISOM, we are looking at the transition in Somalia, and the transition in Somalia will require us to be able to position Somalis at a point where they can be able to carry out their activities on their own. So most of our programs are going to enable the Somalis to take over their responsibilities,” Ododa said.

He said the AU mission will intensify engagements with communities in recovered areas to agree on most suitable projects.

“We can only do this if we ensure at the beginning that we include the community in the selection process because this is the stage where they can be able to implement and accept the projects after handover,” Ododa said.

He said QIPs are crucial to the provision of life saving activities and boost early recovery, thereby improving the quality of the life in liberated areas.

Source: Xinhua

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