STORY: New Force Commander takes over at the helm of

AMISOM military
DURATION: 3:34
SOURCE: AMISOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 30/JANUARY/2019, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Close up shot, African Union flag

2. Wide shot, parade of honour for the Special Representative of the African Union
Commission Chairperson for Somalia, (SRCC), Ambassador Francisco Madeira
3. Med shot, salute of honour for Ambassador Francisco Madeira
4. Wide shot, Ambassador Francisco Madeira inspecting a guard of honour
5. Med shot, outgoing force commander, Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire handing
over the African Union flag to Ambassador Francisco Madeira
7. Med shot, SRCC Ambassador Francisco Madeira hands over the flag to the
incoming Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Tigabu Yilma Wondimhunegn
8. SOUNDBITE: (English) Ambassador Francisco Madeira, Special Representative of
the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia, (SRCC)
“As you take over from General Jim, there is work to be done. We have not yet
finished our mandate. The task ahead is enormous but I am very confident that you
can do it. I thank you and your government for placing you at the help of AMISOM
forces at this point in time, when we are transitioning - and handover the security
responsibility to Somali forces. Gen. Jim has been with us for the last one year. He
gave everything he had; all the knowledge he had, to push our (AMISOM mandate)
forward. I appreciated working with him. He is a very extraordinary officer and he
worked with all the partners that we have and we managed to make strides in our
efforts to bring peace and stability to Somalia”

9. Med shot, AMISOM senior military officers attending the ceremony

10. Closeup shot, Ambassador Francisco Madeira shaking hands with the outgoing
Force Commander, Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire
11. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire, Outgoing AMISOM
Force Commander
“You have to work closely together. If you fail to work together, nothing moves,”
12. SOUNDBITE: (English) Lt. Gen. Tigabu Yilma Wondimhunegn, Incoming
AMISOM Force Commander
“I want to thank the outgoing Force Commander for his commitment. This mission,
as he said, is challenging but we are up to the task,”

13. Wide shot, signing of the handover documents

14. Close up shot, a document being signed
15. Med shot, Lt. Gen. Tigabu Yilma Wondimhunegn signing the handover
documents
16. Wide shot, Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire signing the handover documents
17. Med shot, Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire and Lt. Gen. Tigabu Yilma
Wondimhunegn shaking hands and exchange the handover documents

New Force Commander takes over at the helm of AMISOM military

Mogadishu, 31 January 2019 - The African Union Mission in Somalia has a new
Force Commander. Lt. Gen. Tigabu Yilma Wondimhunegn from Ethiopia, took up
office today, from Lt. Gen. Jim Beesigye Owoyesigire, who has served in that capacity
since January 2018.

The handover of instruments of power between the outgoing and incoming Force
Commanders was presided over by Francisco Caetano Madeira, the Special
Representative of the African Union Commission Chairperson for Somalia (SRCC),
who is also the Head of AMISOM.

“There is work to be done,” Ambassador Madeira told Gen. Tigabu during the
handover ceremony. “The task ahead is enormous, but I am very confident that you
can do it,” he added, while commending Gen. Owoyesigire for “sharing all his
knowledge” to push forward AMISOM’s mandate. He described the outgoing Force
Commander as an “extraordinary officer”.

Gen. Tigabu has 34-years experience in the military and has served the Ethiopia
National Defence Forces (ENDF) in several capacities, including as Division, Brigade,
Battalion and Company Commander.

“This Mission is a challenging one, but we are up to the task,” the incoming Force
Commander made an assurance, while assuming office.

Prior to his appointment, he served as a member of the Defence Council and Head of
Defence Logistics Main Department, where he was instrumental in planning,
delivery, generation and integration of the Defence Capability, among others. He
holds a Masters degree in Business Administration, a degree in Leadership and
Military Science and a Diploma in Law.
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