AMISOM honours former Deputy Commander, Maj. Gen. Maurice Gateretse

Mogadishu - On 14 April, AMISOM paid tribute to Maj. Gen. Maurice Gateretse, AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Supply and Logistics who completed his tour of duty in Somalia. The Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, Simon Mulongo, officiated at a ceremony organised to bid farewell to the Deputy Force Commander alongside other AMISOM staff officers. DSRCC Mulongo also awarded a certificate to the outgoing commander Maj. Gen. Gateretse, in recognition of his contribution to peace-building efforts in Somalia.

“It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to our dear Major General Gateretse and all the officers who have just finished their mission. One very important thing we think about when our colleagues leave us is this feeling of nostalgia; an emotion related to this departure,” said Mulongo. Maj. Gen. Gateretse officially took office on 11 October 2018, succeeding Maj. Gen. Salvator Harushimana who had completed his mission in April 2018.

Mulongo said that AMISOM ensures compliance with the AU policy on succession for the key posts in AMISOM. The policy ensures that all five AMISOM Troop Contributing Countries of Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti take turns in the key posts of Force Commander, Deputy Force Commander, Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff.

Simon Mulongo, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, speaks during a farewell party for Maj. Gen. Maurice Gateretse.

Guests attend a farewell party for Maj. Gen. Maurice Gateretse, the Outgoing AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics in Mogadishu.

Simon Mulongo, the Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (DSRCC) for Somalia, pins a medal on Maj. Gen. Maurice Gateretse, the Outgoing AMISOM Deputy Force Commander in charge of Support and Logistics during a farewell party in Mogadishu.