The military handover ceremony at the International Campus in Mogadishu took place between Brigadier General Fulvio Poli (outgoing) and Brigadier General Giuseppe Zizzari (incoming) for the command of the European Union Training Mission in Somalia (EUTM-S)…
The event was presided over by the Director General of the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), Lieutenant General Michiel van der Laan, who officiated the transfer of responsibility between the two Italian Army Generals, In addition, representatives from International Partners and Somali military and civil authorities attended the event, demonstrating the strong and historically deep bond between Italy and Somalia.
During his speech, Brigadier General Fulvio Poli first remembered the ultimate sacrifice of the civilian and military personnel who took part in military operations or civilian activities in support of the Somali people, serving as examples and inspirations for building a safer and more stable Somalia. He then highlighted the significant progress made by the Somali Armed Forces in recent years thanks to the joint efforts of EUTM Somalia and all international partners.
Approximately 150 Italian soldiers operating in the Somali capital are part of the EUTM-Somalia mission, which aims to train the Somali Security Forces. The EUTM-S mission is complemented by military personnel from Greece, Finland, France, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, and Serbia (the latter, a non-EU country, contributes by providing a first-level medical support component).
