Withdrawal of 1,000 AMISOM-Burundian soldiers from Somalia has begun, this is according to army officials in Burundi.
According toBurundi military officials, about 200 soldiers boarded
a flight from Somalia to Burundi’s capital, Bujumbura on Thursday afternoon.
More Burundian soldiers are expected to be flown
back in Somalia in the coming weeks to continue serving in the African Union
regional force.
The African Union has plans to withdraw the 21,500 troops that it has in Somalia by the end of 2020.
The AU force known as African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), made up of soldiers from several African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Djibouti), has been battling the Al-Qaeda linked Al-Shabaab in an effort to stabilize Somalia and the region.
