AU pledges to continue supporting Somalia despite funding challenges
The African Union (AU) pledged to continue to support peace and stability in Somalia despite financial challenges affecting the bloc’s peacekeeping mission in the Horn of Africa nation.
Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) Mahmoud Ali Youssouf said it was necessary to make the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) fully operational and consolidate the gains made against the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab.
Youssouf said the Commission was engaging all partners, particularly its member countries, to ease the constraints on the peace funds.
These funds, Youssouf noted, were crucial in availing resources to avoid any failure in the transition process from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) to AUSSOM.
“The Commission will request from Troop Contributing Countries to convince other member countries of the necessity to rely on domestic resources in these troubled times,” Youssouf said during an Extraordinary Summit of Troop Contributing Countries to AUSSOM and Somalia in Uganda’s capital Kampala on Friday.
According to the African Union, AUSSOM faces a funding challenge of at least 90 million U.S. dollars to support military, police, civilian and operational components of its mission for the first half of this year.
Youssouf said there were other factors necessary to support Somalia’s peace and stability, other than just funding for AUSSOM.
He called on Somalia’s federal government to speed up the force generation process for more sustainable frontline positions of the Somali Security Force.
Youssouf also urged the government to pursue its political efforts in the state institution building processes.
“This will certainly include a greater inclusivity at the level of the National Consultation Council with the participation of all federal states,” Youssouf said.
