AU seeks speedy determination of compensation cases from Troop and Police contributing countries

AU is seeking ways of enhancing the management of compensation of personnel from Troop and Police Contributing countries to AMISOM.

The African Union (AU) Peace and Security Department and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) have gathered in Kenya’s capital city Nairobi to discuss bottlenecks hindering timely compensation for death and disability.

AU troops fighting with Al-Shabaab have several times met with deadly attacks that claimed lives of their soldiers.

Mr. Selidji Gbaguidi, the Head of the Peace Support Fund at the African Union Commission emphasized the need for effective internal control systems that will guarantee reliable data for personnel serving under the AU mission in Somalia.

“It will help to have the accurate data and reliable data from our side and the TCC side to compensate those beneficiaries on time. We should also put in place really a sustainable system to avoid in future, the backlog,” Mr. Gbaguidi said.

Mr. Adebayo Kareem, the AMISOM Acting Chief of Staff noted that AMISOM had ensured financial diligence and transparency in its operations. He attributed the efficiency to judicious input of the AU Peace Support Division (PSD).

“And I am happy to note that over the last few years, the finance office at the PSD and AMISOM have been able to ensure that even if you have issues with the European Union, management of the finances is not one of those critical issues,” he explained.

“We have handled the financial element of the funds they give us, in a very transparent manner.”

Early this year, Al-Shabab fighters claimed to have killed more than 100 Kenyan soldiers and captured others alive when they attacked an African Union (AU) base at El Adde, in Gedo region.