The African Union (AU) Friday formally requested a hike in the number of Somali peacekeepers to 20,000, calling for the deployment of military units including an air force, a naval unit, an engineering component and an intelligence unit to stabilise Somalia.
'We have to intensify our work in Somalia, strengthen the AMISOM and substantially increase the force to 20,000 with the enabling units, including the air force, maritime unit, an intelligence unit and Police units wi th 140 personnel each to develop and support the Somali Police force,' AU Commissioner for Peace and Security Ramtane Lamamra told For eign Ministers attending the Peace and Security Council (PSC) meeting here.
The meeting was called to finds ways of reinforcing the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Lamamra said the strengthening the force would help support the political process in Somalia, after the appointment of a new Prime Minister, Mohammed Abdullahi Mohammed, Thursday.
He also said that apart from strengthening the local armed forces of Somalia, clan-based militias should be deployed to help the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to take more territory.
African leaders have long called for the imposition of a no-fly zone over Somalia and a sea blockade to stop the transfer of weapons and the free movement of insurgents and hired mercenaries into Somalia.
Lamamra touched on the issue Friday, saying the shipment of weapons was a big threat to the security of the country and calling for 'further decisive action.'
Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula is chairing the ministerial meeting of the PSC.
The PSC meeting at the ministerial level is aimed at examining plans for troop increment, the financing aspects of the military operation and the improvement of the overall security situation in Somalia.
UN Special Envoy to Somalia Augustine Mahiga said Friday the UN had not dropped its long-term objective of taking over the Somali peacekeeping operation, and disclosed that the Japanese government had agreed to recruit and train 500 Somali Police officers in Djibouti.
Source: afriquejet.com
No comments:
Post a Comment