The leaders of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs) to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have vowed to boost the military strength of the mission by an additional 8000 peacekeepers.
The resolution to increase the number of AUSSOM troops aims at addressing the prevailing security situation in Somalia and preventing a reversal of the hard-earned gains made against al-Shabaab, the African Union (AU) said Friday in a statement.
The leaders made the decision after they held a summit in Kampala, Uganda under the Chairmanship of President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Dean of the Troop Contributing Countries.
al-Shabaab still retains a capacity to strike at the capital Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia despite spectacular successes by a coalition of AU forces, the Somali national army and the US through airstrikes targeting militant bases and hideouts.
The summit was attended by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, Workneh Gebeyehu and representatives of the European Union, and officials from the United Kingdom; and the United States.
The purpose of the summit was to receive a report of the meeting of ministers of foreign affairs and defense on the review and proposed way forward on the security situation and performance of AUSSOM (sector by sector), update on the Somali Security Forces (SSFs) state of preparedness and progress in force generation among others.
A communiqué issued at the end of the summit underscored the importance of beefing up by at least an additional 8,000 AUSSOM troops.
The TCCs also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the government of Somalia in the spirit of Pan–Africanism, according to the statement.
The countries reaffirmed the need to establish mechanisms for countering al-Shabaab extremist propaganda.
They have also stressed the importance of addressing operational shortfalls through the provision of adequate, sustainable, and predictable funding and rapid force generation to fill identified capability gaps, ensuring mission effectiveness and boosting morale among deployed personnel.
In this regard, they requested for the African Union Commission to develop a Resource Mobilization Strategy and Financing for AUSSOM.
MG/as/APA