BREAKTHROUGH: VCRU, AKU, AND OTHERS RESCUE 2 KIDNAP VICTIMS UNHURT DURING JOINT OPERATION IN NINGI LGA. (PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE.
The United States has said it will prevent the United Nations from supporting an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia starting next year, two documents showed, in a move that officials said is likely to end its operations.
The nearly 12,000-strong AU mission props up the fragile government in Mogadishu, helping it push back al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab militants, whose previous offensives have brought them within striking distance of the capital and who control large swaths of the countryside in southern and central Somalia.
However, the mission, known as the AU Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), relies heavily on U.N. support for essential logistics such as food, water, fuel, medical services and transportation of troops.
Under President Donald Trump, the U.S. government has grown increasingly frustrated with the administration in Mogadishu, which is riven by political infighting and has failed to defeat the insurgents despite years of international support.
In a July 1 diplomatic note reviewed by Reuters, Washington informed the AU that it would not support the U.N. Support Office in Somalia (UNSOS), whose total budget is around $500 million, beyond the end of this year.
The U.S. government would not object to the U.N. Security Council renewing the AU mission's mandate but would oppose any extension that included U.N. logistical or operational support, it said.
On Thursday, the AU Commission informed members of its Peace and Security Council of the U.S. decision, warning that it carried "significant implications for the logistical sustainment, operational posture and financing of the Mission", according to a letter from the AU to its members.
Two diplomats with direct knowledge of the AU mission said it would not be able to continue unless another body replaced the U.N. support.
U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the U.N. was aware of the U.S. decision. "At this stage, we are discussing this internally and engaging with the African Union, Federal Government of Somalia and other partners," Dujarric said.
Comments
Post a Comment