New leader expected at AU mission in Somalia after Madeira diplomatic tiff

The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia is expected to have a new leader in the coming days after the relationship between the host government and the head of the mission soured last week.

The African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia is expected to have a new leader in the coming days after the relationship between the host government and the head of the mission soured last week.

Diplomatic sources told The EastAfrican it would be “unrealistic” for Francisco Madeira to return to Somalia after the country stripped him of diplomatic privileges.

The source said Mr Madeira, a Mozambican, was being pressured to step down so that it doesn’t look like he had been fired.

Mr Madeira did not respond to our inquiries.

The head of the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (Atmis) would have been celebrating the first few weeks of a new type of peacekeeping body, after Amisom, the mostly military mission targeting al-Shabaab that lasted 13 years, was replaced.

The transition period, however, coincided with revelations that Mr Madeira had run into trouble with the Somalia government after an audio emerged of him lampooning government officials for lethargy in dealing with security problems.