The United Nations Security Council on Friday approved a resolution to cut 1,000 troops from a regional peacekeeping force in Somalia.
The 15-member Security Council adopted Resolution 2472 unanimously and decided to reduce the level of uniformed personnel of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) by 1,000 to a maximum level of 19,626 by Feb. 28, 2020, in line with the Transition Plan that calls for the creation and growth of a Somali security force. The transition was initiated in 2017 and plans to fully hand over control to Somali forces in 2021.
Established back in 2007, AMISOM includes troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda who are deployed in south and central Somalia. It was established with the goal of establishing peacekeeping operations during the latest phase of the country’s civil war.
“AMISOM shall be authorized to take all necessary measures in full compliance with participating states’ obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and in full respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence, and unity of Somalia, to carry out its mandate,” the resolution said, reported France24.
The African Union has raised concerns over the UNSC’s decision to withdraw forces as Somalia heads to elections next year.
The resolution has left the door open for the council to reconsider the decision if violence worsens during the elections. It states that the UN and African Union will work to determine whether a much larger police presence will be needed for the upcoming elections.
The UN has been working to create stability in Somalia, fighting against al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab, which has been working to overthrow the government in the capital, Mogadishu. While AMISOM was successful in phasing out the militant group out of Mogadishu in 2011, it still controls vast rural areas and remains the key threat to peace in Somalia.
In March alone, Al-Shabaab carried out two major attacks in Mogadishu using 28 improvised explosive devices.
