Lieutenant General James Nakibus Lakara is the new AMISOM Deputy Force Commander (DFC) in charge of Operations and Plans.
Lt. Gen. Lakara from Uganda officially has assumed office taking over from his Kenyan counterpart Maj. Gen. Charles Tai Gituai who has completed his one year tour of duty.
This is his second duty tour having previously served as the Deputy Force Commander in charge of Logistics and Support from July 2015 to October 2016.
During the handing over ceremony at the AMISOM Force Headquarters in Mogadishu, the out-going Deputy Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Gituai briefed the incoming Deputy Force Commander of the progress and challenges in the ongoing transition process.
Maj. Gen. Gituai cited the AU/UN joint review, the Operational Readiness Assessment (ORA) of the Somali National Security Forces (SNSF), the new Concept of Operations (CONOPS) document and the joint military operations against Al-Shabaab militants as some of the progress made in the past one year.
Lt. Gen. Lakara thanked his predecessor for his contributions and reiterated his commitment to ensuring the AU Mission achieves its mandate.