Highlights:
- East Africa was among the major beneficiaries of the Sustainable development Goals (SDG) Conference in New York during United Nations General Assembly.
- The region was able to clinch several major support deals that will aid in the fight against the region-based terrorists organization Al Shabaab in Somalia.
- The SDG conference is geared towards uphold global security, containing terror and alleviating poverty in the world.
- The major benefactors of the deals include United Kingdom, China and the United States.
Summary:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was the center for major security and development deals globally as all the major stakeholders converged in New York for the summit.
The Sustainable Development Goals Conference geared towards maintaining global security, alleviating poverty and containing terrorism was one core component of UNGA.
East Africa clinched major regional security deal with countries like China, UK and the US expressing their commitments towards containing the terrorist organization embedded in the region based in Somalia.
China committed to set up 8000-strong peacekeeping force and an additional USD 100 million to the African Union to support the peace keeping missions among them AMISOM in Somalia. The commitment will be able to improve the efficiency of the troops fighting to defeat the Harakat Al Shabaab al Mujahedeen; the East Africa affiliated of the global terror outfit al Qaeda.
The UK had earlier promised to send 70 troops to reinforce the AMISOM troops in Somalia and facilitate the building up of the different fallen infrastructure in Somalia as well as 300 troops in South Sudan.
The United States on the other hand committed logistical aid and material support to the UN forces in Africa. The US for instant pledged to provide more air power to Kenyan, Uganda and Ethiopian troops to increase the maneuverability previously hampered by inadequate or absent ‘enablers’.
The use tactical support is an additional to the already in place unknown number of CIA agents and drones’ stations that have been used to target and kill al Shabaab leaders out of their hiding havens.
The commitments and pledges given towards the war on al Shabaab and regional security is a major set towards eradicating the militants and the threat they pose and move on to the full realization of the SDG goals of alleviating poverty and sustainable growth.
