Joint exercise focuses on sanitation, waste management and protecting Somalia’s coastal environment
NAIROBI – Kenyan troops serving with the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have joined Somali security personnel and port workers in a clean-up operation at Kismayo Seaport, combining sanitation efforts with an awareness campaign on waste management and protection of the coastal environment.
The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) personnel worked alongside Somali Security Forces (SSF) and port workers at the Seaport Tactical Operating Base and surrounding areas.
The exercise involved collecting and disposing of accumulated litter and other waste, clearing unwanted vegetation and cleaning designated areas within and around the port.
The Kenyan Ministry of Defence said the exercise was intended to improve sanitation, working conditions and environmental awareness among those operating at the facility.
“A clean and healthy environment depends on shared responsibility,” the ministry said.
The exercise also included awareness activities.
AUSSOM personnel spoke to port workers about proper waste disposal, environmental hygiene and the protection of marine ecosystems, with particular attention given to preventing waste from reaching the shoreline and surrounding waters.
The ministry said similar clean-up exercises would be conducted periodically to sustain the improvements and encourage responsible waste-management practices among those working at the port.
The initiative comes against a wider backdrop of environmental challenges facing Somalia’s coastline.
Somalia’s submission to a United Nations Environment Programme meeting said the country faces significant marine-pollution challenges and has historically lacked adequate waste-disposal and recycling infrastructure. It noted that waste has often been dumped in streets, on beaches or into the sea, creating risks for marine ecosystems and coastal communities.
Somalia also adopted an Environmental Protection and Management Act in 2024 that includes provisions covering waste management, solid-waste pollution and the protection of marine resources and coastal zones.
Kismayo is a major port city in southern Somalia, situated near the mouth of the Jubba River.
Its strategic importance has made it a significant part of Somalia’s security history.
Kenyan forces, operating under the African Union Mission in Somalia, captured Kismayo on 28 September 2012 during Operation Sledge Hammer, an operation involving an amphibious landing and a ground advance. Kenya’s Defence Ministry described the seizure as a major setback for Al-Shabaab, which had controlled the city.
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The port has remained closely linked to the security operations of international and Somali forces in the region, with KDF personnel continuing to serve in Kismayo under the current AUSSOM mission.
The latest clean-up therefore brings together two aspects of the mission’s presence in the city: security cooperation and engagement with the local community.
The Kismayo exercise follows other environmental and community-focused activities involving AUSSOM personnel.
In May, KDF troops serving under AUSSOM participated in an environmental awareness and clean-up campaign at Kismayo’s Sayid Mohammed Abdulle Hassan International Airport, working alongside Jubaland security forces, a Sierra Leone Formed Police Unit and airport staff.
The airport exercise focused on cleanliness, safety and maintaining the facility’s operational environment.
The seaport clean-up similarly brought security personnel and civilian workers together around an issue affecting both the facility and the surrounding environment.
The exercise also comes as AUSSOM approaches a period of transition.
The African Union mission replaced the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia in 2025 and is mandated to support Somali security forces in the fight against Al-Shabaab and help strengthen Somalia’s security institutions.
The United Nations Security Council has authorised AUSSOM to operate until 31 December 2026. The same resolution provides for continued UN logistical support to AUSSOM and Somali security forces during the current mandate period.
Against that backdrop, community-facing activities such as clean-up campaigns provide an additional point of contact between the mission’s personnel and people working in key public facilities.
For Kismayo’s port workers, the immediate objective is more practical: removing accumulated waste, improving hygiene and reducing the amount of rubbish that can reach the coast.
The Kenyan Defence Ministry said the exercise demonstrated how security personnel, port workers and other stakeholders can work together to address shared environmental concerns.
Similar activities are expected to continue as part of efforts to maintain the port and promote better waste-management practices.
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