The Security Council on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, voted to increase AMISOM’s strength by 4,000 troops.
The UN Security Council on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, passed a resolution paving the way for the deployment of extra troops to boost the African Union Mission in Somalia, AMISOM peacekeeping force battling armed groups in the country, Al Jazeera TV said. The extra troops are expected to start arriving in early 2014, diplomats disclosed.
The 15-member council voted unanimously to allow the deployment of the 4,400-strong force, increasing the existing troops to over 22,100 and also renewing their mandate. According to the AMISOM website, the UN will also offer logistical support to the Somali army and deploy a security unit to protect UN compounds in the country. Reacting to the vote, the British Ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, said the troop increase provides AMISOM with the tools to regain the momentum against al Shabaab militants and deliver increased security to a population who has suffered too much at the hands of extremists.
Somali Prime Minister, Abdi Farah Shirdon, welcomed the Security Council recommendation that the Somali National Army, SNA, be provided a package of non-lethal support, including transport, food, fuel, shelter and medical assistance, through a trust fund. He said the support will enable his government to build on security advances. He urged the international community to ensure sufficient and regular funding to the force, explaining that the long-term security and stability of Somalia ultimately depended on Somali National Security Forces.
Somalia is struggling to rebuild after two decades of civil war and lawlessness sparked by the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991. AMISOM was deployed in 2007, over a decade after initial U.N. peacekeeping missions in the country failed. The force is a regional initiative by the African Union with the full support of the United Nations. It also has a police component.
AMISOM’s main aim is to provide support to the Federal Government of Somalia in its efforts to stabilise the country and foster political dialogue and reconciliation. It is also mandated to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and create necessary conditions for the reconstruction and sustainable development of Somalia.
