STORY: UNSOS spearheaded reconstruction work at

Somalias premier university - AMISOM

TRT: 3:35
SOURCE: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/SOMALI NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 11/JULY/2017, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST

1. Wide shot of a march-past of Somali soldiers.

2. Wide shot of a Somali band brigade.
3. Medium shot of some of the AMISOM troops soldiers at the handover ceremony.
4. Wide shot of a section of AMISOM troops at the ceremony.
5. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): CLARK TOES - UNSOS CHIEF OF SERVICE DELIVERY
The project that you are seeing today, started on the 25th October last year where
we had a collective meeting of all the stakeholders to include AMISOM, the
government and the contingent(Burundi) as well as representative of UNSOS to plan
for the hand back of this location.
6. Wide shot (panning from left to right) of some of the newly constructed lecture blocks
at the university compound.
7. Wide shot of other newly constructed buildings at the university grounds
8. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): ANDREW ALELE - AMISOM CIVIL ENGINEER
We dismantled quite a number of pre-fabricated buildings, we dismantled over thirty
eight containerised bunkers, we dismantled level one hospital, the office blocks,
administrative units and we moved them to Jowhar, with the support of Mission
Enabling Unit supported by UNSOS. We also engaged rehabilitation of thirty eight
hard walled accommodation that was handed over to the Federal government today.

9. Medium shot of three newly constructed lecture blocks.

10. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): CLARK TOES - UNSOS CHIEF OF SERVICE DELIVERY
When we leave, the United Nations will leave behind twenty hard walled buildings
that were constructed for the contingent during their length of stay here, at the value
of about twelve million dollars plus we are also going to leave some smaller items
behind; generators and tents and those sorts of things.

11. Wide shot of the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, Mr.
 Abdirahman Dahir Osman, the Somali Federal Minister for Higher Education and other
AMISOM officials going to cut a tape, symbolising the official handover of the Somali
National university to the federal government.
12. Medium shot of the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, Mr.
Abdirahman Dahir Osman, the Somali Federal Minister for Higher Education and other
AMISOM officials cutting a tape, symbolising the official handover of Somali National
University.
13. Wide shot of the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, Mr.
Abdirahman Dahir Osman, the Federal Minister for Higher Education and other
AMISOM officials inspecting one of the lecture rooms at the university.
14. Wide shot of several dignitaries at the ceremony to hand over the Somali National
University to the Federal Government of Somalia.
15. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): AMBASSADOR FRANCISCO CAETANO MADEIRA - SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION (SRCC)
FOR SOMALIA
We are transiting the University of Somalia from a military barracks, back into an
institution of higher learning and putting it back into the hands of the Somalis.

16. Medium shot of several dignitaries at the official handover ceremony of the Somali
National University to the federal government of Somalia.
17. Medium shot of two dignitaries at the official handover ceremony of the Somali
National University to the federal government of Somalia.
18. Medium shot of two dignitaries at the official handover ceremony of the Somali
National University to the federal government of Somalia.
19. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): MICHAEL KEATING - SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UN
SECRETARY-GENERAL (SRSG) FOR SOMALIA
We are here for a sort of triple celebration. One, is to recognize the role of AMISOM
and in this case, the Burundi contingent, more broadly AMISOM, working in
partnership with the Somali security forces in securing this place and so much of
Somalia in the last difficult 10 years and I pay deep tribute to that.

20. Wide shot of several dignitaries at the official handover ceremony of the Somali
National University to the federal government of Somalia.
21. Medium shot of the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union
Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira chatting with
the Rector of Somali National University, Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Jimale at the handover
ceremony.
22. SOUNDBITE (SOMALI): ABDIRAHMAN DAHIR OSMAN, THE FEDERAL MINISTER FOR
HIGHER EDUCATION
 From our side as the Government that I represent, led by Prime Minister Hassan Ali
Khayre and President Farmaajo, we give priority to security, economic development
and importantly, education. We believe that education lays the foundation for
sustainable development.
23. Wide shot of AMISOM armoured vehicles being driven out of the venue, at the end of
the official handover ceremony.

UNSOS spearheaded reconstruction work at Somalias premier university, says AMISOM

Mogadishu, 12 July 2017 The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) officially handed
over the premises of the Somali National University back to federal government authorities on
Tuesday, relinquishing control of the institution, which it had occupied for the last 10 years.

AU troops from Burundi contingent first occupied the university in 2007, starting off as a small
Forward Operating Base, and later evolving into a Battalion headquarters to coordinate
operations against Al-Shabaab; succeeding to drive the militants out of Mogadishu through
combined efforts with other AU troops.

The handover heralds a new phase for Somalias oldest university and paves way for the
reopening of the learning institution. We are transiting the University of Somalia from a
military barracks back into an institution of higher learning, Ambassador Francisco Caetano
Madeira, the AU Special Representative for Somalia said, during the handover ceremony
officiated by the Minister for Higher Education Mr. Abdirahman Dahir Osman.

The troops who set base at the university for a decade were relocated to AMISOM Sector 5
headquarters in Jowhar, in an exercise that commenced in April 2016.

We had a collective meeting with all the stakeholders to include AMISOM, the government
and the contingent(Burundi) as well as representatives of UNSOS to plan for the hand back of
the location, Mr. Clark Toes, the Chief of Service Delivery at the United Nations Support Office
in Somalia (UNSOS) explained in an interview. When we leave, the United Nations will leave
behind 20 hard wall buildings that were constructed for the contingent during their stay here at
a value of about $12million.

Other than providing logistical and engineering support during the relocation exercise, UNSOS
ensured that the premises was rebuilt with the least effect to the environment.

We dismantled quite a number of prefabricated buildings, we dismantled 38 containerized

bunkers, we dismantled level one hospital, the office blocks with administrative units and we
moved them to Jowhar with the support of the Mission Enabling Unit supported by UNSOS,
Andrew Alele, AMISOMs Civil Engineer said.

Established in 1954, the university closed its doors to students as a result of the outbreak of the
civil war in 1991. However, it re-opened its constituent colleges in August 2014, to offer
specialized training, after a return to relative peace.

According to Ambassador Madeira, relinquishing control of the university was the start of the
gradual process to hand over security to the Somali National Security Forces.

We are here for a sort of triple celebration. One, is to recognize the role of AMISOM and in
this case, the Burundi contingent, more broadly AMISOM, working in partnership with the
Somali security forces in securing this place and so much of Somalia in the last difficult 10 years
and I pay deep tribute to that, added Mr. Michael Keating, the Special Representative of the
United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia.

Mr. Abdirahman Dahir Osman, the federal Minister for Higher Education described the
handover as a symbol of the rebirth of Somalia.
We give priority to security, economic development and importantly, education. We believe
that education lays the foundation for sustainable development, the minister said.

His sentiments were echoed by Mr. Mohamed Ahmed Jimale, the Rector of the university, who
said handing back the premises to the federal government marked a return of peace, security
and stability, in Somalia.

The first batch of student admissions to Somalias oldest university could start as early as
September 2017, once the government gives the institution the green light.

END