Leaders of troop-contributing countries to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) have called on the UN Security Council to extend its support for the mission for an additional 18 to 24 months to prevent a security vacuum that could result from the end of the current support.
The extraordinary summit in Kampala said the extension was essential to build the capacity of the Somali Armed Forces, strengthen security institutions and transition responsibility for the country in an orderly manner.
The summit called for increasing air, intelligence and surveillance (ISR) capabilities, and accelerating the training and integration of the Somali military’s operational plan to enable it to fully assume responsibility for security in the country.
The leaders also urged the Federal Government of Somalia to further strengthen its partnership with regional states, to accelerate the fight against Al-Shabaab, and to build a professional national army that reflects the unity of the country.
The statement expressed concern about the financial challenges facing AUSSOM, calling on partner countries and donors to provide additional support to meet the needs of the mission and ensure sustainable funding. It was also decided to establish a joint committee to work on the diplomatic campaign to seek future funding for AUSSOM.
The conference, hosted by Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, was attended by Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud and representatives from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Egypt, the African Union, IGAD, the United Nations and other troop-contributing countries to AUSSOM. The decisions of the conference will be submitted to the African Union Peace and Security Council, and then to the United Nations Security Council for consideration.
