Kenya, Ethiopia offer Amisom helicopters for war on al Shabaab

Somalia’s two front line countries, Kenya and Ethiopia have offered to give choppers Africab Union Peace keeping Mission In Somalia (AMISOM) for operations against Al-Shabab fighters who regularly attack SNA and AMISOM troops.

The details are being worked out as the UN Security Council authorised 9 utility helicopters and 3 attack helicopters in its resolution 2036 of 2012, African Union Peace said.

“The Amisom deployment model requires contingents to deploy with their own equipment,” AUP noted in a statement on Thursday.

“They are then compensated by the United Nations via a logistical support package to African Union Mission in Somalia.”

The helicopters will help alleviate hindrances soldiers have encountered, due to lack of air support, in the fight against Al-Shabab.

The aircrafts are to come from troops-contributing countries. Uganda had pledged four choppers but withdrew after three of them crashed into Mt Kenya en route to Somalia in August 2012.

The jet fighters the Kenya Defence Forces has been using for airstrikes are not under AMISOM operations as the mission is not allowed to use fixed-wing aircrafts.

The star