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AU mission vows to deter Al-Shabaab from disrupting Somalia polls

Xinhua, August 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

A senior Africa Union (AU) official in Somalia said Tuesday that the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) would work with Somali security forces to deter Al-Shabaab militants from disrputing the country's upcoming elections.

Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia, Lydia Wanyoto, made the remarks at a planning meeting for the elections.

Somalia has formed a security taskforce to help secure the electoral process slated for September and October. AMISOM will be represented in the taskforce.

"With the taskforce in place, we will now be able to know what to do and how to move, to ensure that we deliver on elections security, which is one of our key deliverables," Wanyoto said.

Somalia is scheduled to hold a limited franchise election, in which ordinary citizens do not participate.

A UN-sponsored election team recently announced a presidential vote on Oct. 30 and parliamentary elections from Sept. 24 to Oct. 10.

AMISOM Force Commander, Osman Noor Soubagleh, said the meeting would facilitate the planning, preparation and coordination of security efforts and cross-section operations directed at degrading the Al-Shabaab Islamist group, which stages periodic attacks in the country.

AMISOM commanders are attending the four-day meeting and will be joined by their counterparts of the Somali army. Endit