United Nations, Apr 7 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the recent establishment of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Through a statement, the top UN official on Wednesday reiterated the "unwavering commitment" of the UN to Somalia and expressed his "full support" to ATMIS and the Somali security forces in their ongoing fight against al-Shabab.

The Secretary-General urged all partners to urgently ensure sustainable and predictable funding for ATMIS and resourcing of the Somali security forces in support of the country's security transition, Xinhua news agency reported.

The UN chief looked forward to working closely with the African Union, Federal government of Somalia and all partners to support a phased handover of security responsibilities to Somali security forces.

Guterres also paid tribute to the significant achievements of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) over the past 15 years. He expressed his gratitude to the AMISOM troop -- and police-contributing countries for their commitment to advancing peace in Somalia, and honoured those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.