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At least 4000 AU soldiers killed in Somalia since 2007-ATMIS chief

Storyline:National News, Security

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Up to 4,000 African Union soldiers have been killed and thousands more injured in Somalia since the regional forces entered the country to fight against the Al-Shabaab terror group in 2007.

This is according to the Special Representative of the chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia Mohamed El-Amine Souef who revealed this in a recent interview with journalists.

“The troops were not well-prepared, and the administration was not even in Mogadishu. Many cases were not properly documented,” Souef said while responding to questions from journalists.

ATMIS which currently has 19000 peacekeeping troops in Somalia was originally referred to as the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) whose initial deployment was made up entirely of Ugandan troops.

“The mission has documented around 4,000 casualties. According to the force officers who served in the mission, the casualties, including those disabled, can be as high as over 5, 000,” Souef added.

Most Casualties 

According to Souef, troops from Uganda and Burundi have suffered the most casualties adding that the African Union will prioritize the families of soldiers killed in Somalia for compensation, as some of them have not yet been recognized “because of a lack of funds.”

The statement by Souef, who previously served as the foreign minister of Comoros is the first by the AU commenting on the loss of troops serving in Somalia.

He however pointed out that the troops came to Somalia with good reason because the countries that contributed troops “feel that they are close to Somalia.”

“I can say that we are reimbursing the Somalis because you may remember that Somalia is among the countries that got independence early in the ’60s, and they supported many African countries to get their independence. They supported many African countries in terms of training, in terms of education. So, I think Somalia deserves that, and we are willing to do so.”

The Federal Government of Somalia has also paid tribute to the sacrifices of African Union peacekeepers.

  • By Fauxile Kibet