The United Nations Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the deployment of African Union Mission force in Somalia (AMISOM) until at least the end of July, pending the finalization of the ongoing AU-UN Joint Review of the force.
The Council also recalled its earlier decision to authorize the AU to reduce the Mission’s level of uniformed personnel to 20,626 by 30 October this year from the current 22,126; but to include a minimum of 1,040 AMISOM police personnel, including five specialist Formed Police Units.
The Council requested the UN Secretary‑General continue to provide the necessary logistical support for AMISOM, its 70 civilian personnel; the 10,900-strong Somalia National Army jointly operating with AMISOM, and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, said that AMISOM continues to play an indispensable role, “at great human cost”, in protecting population centres, main supply routes and Somalia’s overall political progress.
“Suffice to say that successful security transition will require not just deep reform of the Somalia security forces but also, as the AU Commission Chairperson and UN Secretary-General’s Envoys noted, transformation of AMISOM,” he said.
For over a decade, Somalia has been dogged by a jihadist war waged by the al-Shabaab militant group, killing thousands and displacing millions others.
The @UN Security Council has extended the mandate of @amisomsomalia for two months, pending the finalisation of the ongoing AU-UN Joint Review of #AMISOM. Read the resolution below. 👇 #Somalia pic.twitter.com/DcrHJ7veOS
— Ambassador Madeira (@AmbFMadeira) May 16, 2018
