6th February 2017, Kampala: Uganda has called on the concerned partners to review the funding for the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).
Through the Foreign Affairs Minister, Sam Kutesa, revealed on Friday that Uganda government is pushing for a revision of funding for the AU peacekeepers in Somalia by the international community.
Addressing journalists at Media Centre about the resolution of the just concluded 28th Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Kutesa made it clear all that the government is pushing for is contribution based on assessment of troop member country.
Uganda’s UPDF was deployed to Somalia in 2007 and maintains a peacekeeping force of 6,000 in Somalia. This is the largest contingent in the mission.
European Union (EU) and United Nations through trust funds have been responsible for funding the mission.
Recently, EU announced to roll back the support to AMISOM citing competing priorities and further called on international community to chip in and fill the gap. EU also announced it would reduce the soldier’s pay 20 percent.
Uganda’s Foreign Affairs minister also commented about President Musveni’s meeting with UK’s Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel on the sidelines of the AU summit where he revealed that the two leaders discussed about security situation and political transition in the war-torn Somalia.
Categorically, Uganda’s President Museveni specifically raised the red flag about shortage of funds to deal with the refugee crisis in the region.
The issue of funding for AMISOM has been key and wanting. Uganda and Burundi has on some occasions threatened to withdrawal their troops from the peacekeeping mission in Somalia citing under-funding/salary issues.
AMISOM troops countributing countries include, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Burundi and Djibouti.
