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AU seeks more support from UN to carry out its mission in Somalia

Xinhua, February 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

The African Union on Tuesday has requested the United Nations Security Council and other partners for more support to its peacekeeping mission in Somalia (AMISOM) in the fight against the terrorist group Al-Shabaab.

"AMISOM, as compared with other missions in Africa such as UN, we are still lacking enablers... The support AMISOM is getting needs to be scaled up and reinforced," said Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, on Tuesday within the framework of the 28th AU Summit being held in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

He also noted that the salary of troops needs to be "taken seriously."

"In our view the best approach is to ask UN and the Security Council, who has the overall responsibility on peace and security, to make sure that we have salaries paid through [assessed] contribution so that our troops will be treated like others while we are combating in the most difficult environment," he said.

The AMISOM is in a period of transition. On April 28th 2016, the Peace and Security Council has renewed the mandate of the AU mission to Somalia until the end of March 2017.

According to Chergui, one of the major exit strategies is to train the Somali national forces so as to take over the situation starting from October 2018.

Briefing journalists on current peace and security situations in the African continent, he said that the pan-African block has successfully secured the election in Somalia and the process will be finalized next month after the presidential election.

The commissioner has also indicated that the peace keeping force is preparing to launch an offence to recover the last stronghold of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab. Endit