MOGADISHU, Somalia – Burundian troops serving under African Union mission in Somalia known as AMISOM have started to vacate a military training institution in Mogadishu which AMISOM had been occupying for more than a decade.
Francisco Madeira, head of AMISOM says the Burundian troops will be moved from Jaalle Siyaad Military Academy as the withdrawal started earlier on Thursday.
The institution has been undergoing renovation since last December to pave the way for the handover of the facility.
Ambassador Madeira noted that a number of assets put up by AMISOM for use by the Burundi contingent will also be donated to the federal government.
Jaalle Siyaad academy holds a special place in the country’s history, having served as a key Forward Operation Base for AU troops during the fierce war against al-Shabaab fighters that led to the liberation of Mogadishu, in 2011.
