With the world’s attention on the uprisings in the Arab world, progress has been made in the fighting against Somalia’s Islamist al-Shabaab movement. The fledging African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) has recently been bolstered by funds from the European Union and additional troops to Mogadishu from Uganda and Burundi, ensuring that the peacekeeping force can continue to operate in the conflict-ridden country.
While the EU has pledged 93 million dollars to support the peacekeepers, Uganda and Burundi announced they are sending 2000 additional troops each to boost AMISOM's forces. With this additional manpower of 4000 people, the total AU peacekeeping contingent stands at 12,000 soldiers, all of which come from Uganda and Burundi as the sole contributing countries.
The African Union peacekeepers have since 2007 been assisting the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed in their fight against the al-Shabaab ...
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With the world’s attention on the uprisings in the Arab world, progress has been made in the fighting against Somalia’s Islamist al-Shabaab movement. The fledging African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) has recently been bolstered by funds from the European Union and additional troops to Mogadishu from Uganda and Burundi, ensuring that the peacekeeping force can continue to operate in the conflict-ridden country.
While the EU has pledged 93 million dollars to support the peacekeepers, Uganda and Burundi announced they are sending 2000 additional troops each to boost AMISOM's forces. With this additional manpower of 4000 people, the total AU peacekeeping contingent stands at 12,000 soldiers, all of which come from Uganda and Burundi as the sole contributing countries.
The African Union peacekeepers have since 2007 been assisting the UN-backed Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed in their fight against the al-Shabaab, the largest group among several Islamist and clan militias battling the transitional government in Somalia.
Are the peacekeeping efforts in Somalia making a difference?
In late February of this year, AMISOM and the Somali government forces launched an offensive to break the Islamists' stronghold on Mogadishu. It was part of a larger coordinated offensive, which stretched to several strategic points in southern and central Somalia. Ethiopian troops were also reported to take part, and the Kenyan army allegedly crossed into Somalia in a pre-emptive attack on al-Shabaab forces following intense border clashes.
The offensive took a heavy toll on the AMISOM troops, with at last 43 Burundian fatalities. The support comes shortly after al-Shabaab rebel groups dragged the bodies of Burundian soldiers through the streets of Mogadishu to a stadium where supporters could view them.
Has al-Shabaab been weakened?
The offensive may have secured the TFG 60% of control of the country, including half of Mogadishu, weakening, al-Shabaab’s stranglehold over Somalia. Al-Shabaab has also suffered losses near the borders of Ethiopia and Kenya where rebel fighters were fleeing towns as they came under siege from advancing Somali and Ethiopian troops.
According to AMISOM, the arrival of additional troops would further speed up the reclaiming of territories currently occupied by al-Shabaab in south and central Somalia.
The suffering on the ground continues
Somalia has been in and out of war since 1991, when clan warlords overthrew Siad Barre's administration, making it one of the worst protracted humanitarian crises in the world. The human cost of the conflict in Somalia is staggering - according to the UNHCR violent clashes are estimated to have claimed the lives of at least 21 000 civilians since 2007 and left 1.5 million internally displaced, while 700,000 are currently registered as refugees.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has appealed for greater international help for Somalia and the AMISOM forces.
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