A new contingent of Djiboutian troops arrived on Wednesday in Beledweyne, the capital of the Hiiraan region in Somalia. These troops are part of the African Union Support Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

The soldiers were welcomed at Ugaas Khaliif Airport in Beledweyne by the commander of AUSSOM’s Sector Four, Saciid Waaberi, along with senior officers from the Somali National Army.

The newly arrived troops are also expected to be deployed to the town of Jalalaqsi, in the Hiiraan region, where they will participate in peacekeeping operations.

The Djiboutian forces, numbering in the hundreds, will be part of the Hill Walal 12 unit, which is scheduled to operate in Somalia for two years, working to restore peace and stability in the country.

According to a statement from Djibouti’s national news agency, the deployment is part of Djibouti’s broader effort to support Somalia’s security and peace efforts, in cooperation with international partners and regional states.

“Their operations will contribute to the efforts of the Djiboutian Armed Forces to maintain peace and stability in Somalia, with support from the international community and regional countries,” the statement read.

Hiiraan has recently become one of the most active conflict zones between Somali government forces and Al-Shabaab.

Djibouti has been one of Somalia’s closest allies in peacekeeping efforts and has deployed troops to Somalia since 2011. The country is also one of the African Union member states contributing to AUSSOM, with its troop numbers currently standing at 1,520.