African Union urges nearly $90 million for its Somali force | Federal News Network

UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The African Union on Wednesday appealed for nearly $90 million for its peacekeeping force in Somalia, which is providing aid to its forces battling al-Shabaab extremists.

Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, told two journalists that the more than 19,600-strong AU force would not be able to function properly and help Somalis unless the funding gap was filled .

A year ago, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a new African Union Transition Mission in Somalia, known as ATMIS, to support the Somalis until their forces take over the country’s security in late 2024. does not take full responsibility for

If the AU force does not have the funds to operate effectively in the coming 21 months before the handover, Adoye said, “it could mean that al-Shabaab will eventually take over a state of responsibility in Somalia. “

“The implications are huge,” he said. “And we don’t want that to distract or distract the attention of the international community from Somalia, as it has been going on for almost two decades.”

Adeoye said the current Somali government is doing what many have never done in the past – launching a full-scale offensive against al-Shabaab rather than responding to al-Shabaab attacks – and “encouraging that offensive”. need to.”

He said a major reason for the AU’s financial plight is the $60 million cut in funding by the EU due to competing interests.

Adeoye attended a high-level meeting with UN member states on the financing of ATMIS after speaking to reporters. He expressed hope that all countries would help fill the $89 million funding gap, especially the Gulf countries, the Global South and the European Union.

The government of Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mahmoud last year declared a “total war” against al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab extremists. For more than a decade they have controlled parts of the country and launched devastating attacks, taking advantage of clan divisions and looting millions of dollars a year in their quest to impose an Islamic state.

The current offensive by local communities and militias was partly sparked by al-Shabaab’s harsh taxation policies amid the country’s worst drought on record.

The United States has increased its military aid to Somalia as it has seen success in fighting al-Shabaab, with the arrival of 61 tons of weapons and ammunition in the capital Mogadishu on March 1.

Adoy said, “The West is supporting Ukraine in its fight to defend its sovereignty, but Ukrainians are fighting.” “So now the Somalis are fighting, and we all need to encourage that fight to ensure that the African Union’s peace support operation does not fail.”

He said the lack of resources would affect the withdrawal date for the AU force, and he warned that an AU withdrawal would be worse than the chaotic withdrawal of US-led NATO forces from Afghanistan in August 2021. He said that “it will affect.” whole area.

Adeoye said everyone’s assessment is that Somali forces have made “tremendous improvements” militarily and on the political side, where he worked with the AU in supporting elections last year.

But Adeoye said al-Shabaab has been in Somalia for nearly 20 years and is certainly trying to adapt to the much stronger Somali security force.

“They’re flexible, so we have to be above the game, and that’s why we’re not seeking resources to pay troops, just for training,” he said. “We are also seeking resources for equipment – ​​from the US for the best state-of-the-art offensive weapons, from those with the means to exert influence, and doubling down on what the Somali government is doing.”

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