
The African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is a regional peacekeeping mission set up by the African Union, and supported by the United Nations. The first batch of peacekeepers deployed on 6th March, 2007 and currently over 10,000 peacekeepers from Uganda and Burundi are operating in Mogadishu.
The principal aim of AMISOM was to provide support for Somalia’s Transitory Federal Institutions (TFI’s) in their stabilisation efforts and in the pursuit of political dialogue and of reconciliation. AMISOM is also mandated to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and to create the necessary conditions for reconciliation and sustainable development in Somalia.
In December 2010, Kate Holt was commissioned by the African Union Information Support Team (IST) to travel to Mogadishu and embed within the African Union Soldiers. She not only photographed the work of the soldiers – particularly their humanitarian agenda – but also trained six soldiers from both Uganda and Burundi on how to take photographs of their daily lives on the frontline.
Photographs taken by the soldiers, as well as Kate’s photographs, were exhibited in Nairobi, Kampala and Bujumbura in an exhibition entitled “Brothers in Arms.” Arete helped promote the exhibition through a series of articles and reviews.
ClientAMISOMServicesPhotographyYear2010-11Linkamisom-au.org