African Union pledges more troops to fight al-Shabaab in Somalia
Leaders of the African Union have pledged to send more troops to Somalia due to growing concerns over the rising strength of the terrorist group al-Shabaab in the country.
According to the Associated Press, the decision to send more troops was unanimously made by nearly all the representatives present during a meeting that was held in the Ugandan capital of Kampala on April 25.
This decision included countries like Egypt which is not currently involved in peacekeeping operations but has now expressed a desire to join them.
The agreement to send more troops comes at a time where there is already a significant African Union military presence in Somalia.
At the moment the African Union has at least 10,000 troops stationed in Somalia for peacekeeping operations, with at least half of them coming from Uganda.
The troops and the peacekeeping missions they conduct have been fully backed and supported by the United Nations Security Council, which has endorsed various African Union operations since 2007.
While the African Union has operated in the country for a lengthy period of time, this new agreement to send additional troops comes as a direct reaction to the deteriorating situation on the ground.
The al-Shabaab militants, a terrorist group heavily linked to al-Qaeda, have begun a renewed campaign of terror in Somalia, carrying out bombings, attacks, and raids on a regular basis.
This new wave of violence even included an assassination attempt against the country’s president back in March.
As previously reported by Maghrebi, the Somalia Information Ministry said that President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s convoy was attacked in the Xamar-Jajab district of the capital, Mogadishu on March 18.
While the president’s life was initially in danger, the ministry reported that security forces defeated the attackers and “the President arrived at his destination as planned.”
Nevertheless, while the attack on the Somali President’s life was unsuccessful, it only reaffirmed his and his government’s belief that there is a clear need for an increased peacekeeping presence.
Speaking to the congregation of African Union leaders during the meeting in Kampala, President Hassan said that his country was at a “critical juncture” in its war with al-Shabaab, and that in order to succeed, more troops would be needed to contain the conflict.
Associated Press, Maghrebi
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