African Union Security Council: Shift AMISOM to joint UN and African Union mission

The African Union (AU) says it has decided to change its current mission in Somalia from AMISOM to a joint UN-African Union mission.

A statement from the African Union Peace and Security Council said they supported an assessment by an independent African Union commission, which recommended a joint operation in Somalia.

The date the operation is scheduled to begin is January 2022.

The African Union has said it wants the operation to be carried out in accordance with Article VII (7) of the UN Charter.

The plan first needs to be approved by the UN Security Council.

The African Union said the mission “will ensure years of predictable and sustainable funding for future operations, through contributions assessed by the United Nations.”

The Somali federal government has previously rejected the plan, insisting on its role in supporting the African Union Mission in Somalia, with responsibility for security gradually being handed over to Somali forces.

But the African Union wants urgent consultations with the UN and the Somali government and other stakeholders to work towards the implementation of the new mission.

The organization also wants to expand the number of countries contributing troops to AMISOM, which currently stands at five; Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya and Djibouti, which have 19,000 troops in Somalia.

The statement said the African Union, the UN and the Somali government will decide on the goals, legitimacy, and scope of the new mission.

Read More: AMISOM Police Deployed in Dhusamareb & Barawe