Tejabo Yelma: African agent to confront terrorism of Daesh, Al-Shabaab
Tuesday 05/February/2019 - 01:30 PM
Ahmed Adel
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on Saturday announced the
appointment of Ethiopian General Tejabo Yelma as its new leader, replacing
Ugandan Jim Besigye, who was appointed to this mission in January, 2018.
The representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission in
Somalia, and the head of the mission of the Union, Ambassador Francisco Madera,
pointed out that the task of Tejabo is very serious and important, and there is
great confidence in his military capabilities to eliminate terrorism and
extremism in the country.
Madera described Besigye as an extraordinary commander of the troops, who
suffered a great deal of hardship because of the terrorist attacks that he was
waging against the troops.
Veteran Commander
General Tejabo has 34 years of experience in the Ethiopian army and has been in
the military ranks until he was appointed a senior general in the Ethiopian
armed forces. Prior to his appointment, he was a member of the Defense and
Management Department at the Defense Ministry.
In addition, he holds a master's degree in business administration, a degree in
command, military sciences and a diploma in law. He is the first commander of
Ethiopia to be appointed a commander of that force since its establishment in
2007. He represented the army in the Ethiopian parliament from 2011 to 2016
before that.
Ethiopia has refused to assume the leadership of the African Union mission in
2018, against the backdrop of tensions with Somalia and Eritrea, but after the
arrival of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, it agreed to the request of
some countries of East Africa, on assuming the task of the presidency of
African forces, with the increase of terrorist operations of the Mujahideen
Youth Movement in Somalia, against the Ethiopian forces.
