AU protests rejection of UN funding for AMISOM by Security Council

Soldiers belonging to the Burundian contingent of the African Union Mission in Somalia prepare to march on the Al Shabab held town of Ragaele in the Hiraan region of Somalia on September 30, 2014. AMISOM Photo

GOOBJOOG NEWS|NEW YORK: The African Union has protested over what it termed as lack of consultation and rejection of its proposals on the future of the AMISOM in Somalia by the UN Security Council.

Speaking during a Council meeting which extended the mandate of the AU mission by a year, Niger ambassador to the UN Abdou Abarry who presented the position of the African Union expressed ‘deep regret’ about the manner in which the deliberations were conducted.

“The African Union, its role and mandate must be given due regard,” he stressed, pointing out that his delegation had not been properly consulted.

Ambassador Abarry who also spoke on behalf of the A3+1 delegation which includes Kenya, Tunisia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines lamented the decision by the Council to drop AU’s proposals.

Key among the proposals was on assessed UN funding of AMISOM to ensure the sustainability of the mission in light of shrinking bilateral support. Abbary said the AU had proposed in its assessment report in January that AMISOM be reconfigured and that ‘that the best way to fund the Mission would be through United Nations assessed contributions.’

“The Security Council must listen more intently to the host country, the African Union and troop-contributing countries,” the Niger ambassador said. “It must also rethink the penholder system, which is outmoded and increasingly at odds with managing peace and security, he emphasized.”

The African Union and Troops Contributing Countries (TCCs) have severally called for UN funding of AMISOM noting that as the custodian of world peace, the UN Security Council should take up the mandate.

The Council extended the mandate of AMISOM to December 31. 2021.