On the occasion of the visit to Djibouti, Admiral Binelli Mantelli greeted the soldiers of all the armed forces and of the carabinieri, who have been working in the area for some time, using the logistic support provided by the interforce military base.
The national contingent deployed in Djibouti currently includes army personnel, mainly made up of engineers involved in the infrastructure works of the base, of the navy, mainly composed of the Military Nuclei of Protection (NMP), of the Air Force framed in the Task Force Air, aimed at providing support to the European Union "Atalanta" mission with UAV and carabinieri assets which, with a unit of 30 units, they conduct training activities in favor of the Somali police forces.
The head of SMD commended all the military for the significant efforts made so far and the excellent results achieved, especially in the field of cooperation. Underlining the high operational value of the base, thanks to which it is possible to support all operational and cooperation activities in the various countries of the Horn of Africa, (anti-piracy with naval units, UAVs and NMPs, EUTM Somalia, etc.), Admiral Binelli Mantelli proposed the possibility of consolidating current employment and exploring new and more structured forms of cooperation and assistance towards Djibouti.
The theme of cooperation was at the center of the talks that the head of the SMD had with his counterpart, General Cheikh Ibrahim Zakaria and the defense minister of Djibouti, Hassan Darar Houffaneh, accompanied by the Italian ambassador to Addis Ababa, Giuseppe Mistretta , that in recognizing openly the value of the Italian commitment and the numerous initiatives undertaken, they underlined the excellent level of bilateral relations, especially in training, highlighting the need for new forms of collaboration to be started in the capacity building field in order to contribute to the organizational and professional growth of its armed forces, essential for the security of the area.
As for Somalia, the head of SMD went to Mogadishu, where he visited the European Union Training Mission Somalia (EUTM Somalia), whose command has been entrusted to an Italian general officer, gen. b. Massimo Mingiardi.
Accompanied by the Italian Ambassador Fabrizio Marcelli, Admiral Binelli Mantelli then reached Villa Somalia, where he met the Prime Minister of the Republic of Somalia, mr. Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed, the speaker of parliament, mr. Osimana Mohamed Jawari, the Chief of Defense General Dahir Aden Elmi, and the Director of the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Abdurahman Mohamud Turyare.
In all the meetings held, the military, political and Somali government authorities thanked for their precious support and for their continued proximity and clearly underlined the great expectations placed in our country, considered as the most important partner on the international scene towards which it looks with the aim of receiving the necessary help, primarily in the field of military cooperation, to ensure peace and stability in the country and in the fight against the terrorist activities of Al-Shabaab.
Finally, Admiral Binelli Mantelli met all the Italian staff in Mogadishu, thanking them for their great professionalism and exemplary commitment to achieving the objectives set in a delicate and complex mission, highlighting how their support is highly appreciated at a national level and international and how the re-establishment of security conditions in the area is reflected in the fight against terrorism and illegal activities in the Mediterranean.
Source: SMD
