To commemorate World Environment Day, the African Union peace mission in Somalia, the United Nations, and the Federal Government of Somalia have launched a collaborative campaign to protect the environment and mitigate the effects of climate change.
As part of the campaign, Ambassador Mohammed El-Amine Souef, the Head of the AU Mission in Somalia, Assistant Secretary-General Ms. Aisa Kacyira, Head of the UN Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), and Somalia’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, Khadija Mohamed, has pledged to plant 30,000 trees across 58 Forward Operating Bases by the proposed exit of AU forces at the end of 2024.
This joint initiative aligns with President Hassan Sheikh’s “Regreening Somalia” Initiative, which aims to plant 10 million trees to enhance biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, and combat recurring cycles of devastating droughts in the Horn of Africa country.
Ambassador Souef, the AU Special Representative for Somalia, emphasized the commitment of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to support Somalia’s greening efforts by planting around 30,000 trees by December 2024.
To mark this year’s World Environment Day, themed “Solution to Plastic Pollution,” ATMIS and UN staff conducted a clean-up exercise to collect plastics along the Jazeera-Airport-Marine road in Somalia. Ambassador Souef highlighted the urgency of addressing plastic pollution and its impact on public health.
Assistant Secretary-General Ms. Kacyira expressed satisfaction with the UN’s concerted efforts to combat plastic pollution and restore Somalia’s environment. The UN in Somalia has taken measures to reduce plastic waste, including banning plastic bags, minimizing the use of plastic water bottles, providing water dispensers in offices, maintaining drinking water points within camps, facilitating waste separation and recycling, and organizing beach clean-ups.
Minister Khadija Mohamed, Somalia’s Minister for Environment and Climate Change, expressed gratitude for the collaborative efforts of ATMIS and the UN in supporting the Federal Government’s initiatives to safeguard the country’s diverse ecosystem. Given the adverse effects of years of conflict on Somalia’s ecosystem, she emphasized the need for collective action to combat pollution and plastic waste.
Similar events took place at the ATMIS and UN regional operational headquarters in Jowhar, Hirshabelle State, and Dhobley, Jubaland State, where personnel from UN agencies, ATMIS military, police, and civilian officials participated in clean-up and tree-planting activities.
The events in Mogadishu and other regions were attended by representatives from ATMIS, the UN, the Federal Government of Somalia, and state-level officials, underscoring the joint commitment to environmental conservation and climate action.
