Burundi, one of the countries that have troops in Somalia, has announced that it will not participate in the upcoming peacekeeping operation, due to disagreements between Burundi and Somalia regarding the number of troops to be allowed to be deployed. Take it to Somalia.
This news was stated in a statement issued by the Permanent Representative of Burundi to the African Union (AU), H.E. Willy Nyamitwe.
This is based on the fact that the Burundian government expressed satisfaction with the number of Burundian troops that will join AUSSOM, saying that they will be a very small number compared to the number already in Somalia.
Although the two countries talked, they failed to reach an agreement, which led to Burundi withdrawing from the mission.
Ambassador Nyamitwe, who had a telephone conversation with the chairman of the African Union Peace Council, expressed how disappointed Burundi is in this situation. He also reiterated Burundi’s commitment to support regional stability through other means.
Burundi’s decision could affect the readiness of the AUSSOM mission to carry out its mandate. Burundi is currently one of the leading countries in the African Union mission in Somalia.
