Financial squeeze calls for alternatives in Somalia war

Saturday April 30, 2016

File: AMISOM officers.

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African Union (AU) troops fighting in Somalia have not had their monthly pay for the last four months, a factor that threatens to lower their morale and resolve in finishing off Al-Shabaab, a militant group fighting the government there.

The financial constraint is caused by the European Union's (EU) reduction in funding the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) due to competing priorities elsewhere in Africa and the world.

"We had a conference on Somalia recently in Istanbul, and this matter came up and we asked other countries, other organizations, to come up and support AMISOM," EU's Ambassador to Somalia Michele Cervone d'Urso said in a statement this week.

EU is cutting the AMISOM troop allowance by 20 percent.

This is not the first time the financial constraint comes up. Last year in June at a meeting held in Kampala to discuss the efficiency of the AU troops, the Ugandan military said its peacekeeping troops would perform better if they were facilitated in time.

Uganda argued that delayed reimbursement of its equipment and compensations, including military assets in the event of loss, impacts on the troops' capabilities.

Last February, heads of state from Troop Contributing Countries, meeting in Djibouti, called for UN intervention to cover the financial shortfall.

Lt. Col. Paddy Ankunda, Ugandan military spokesman told Xinhua in an interview on April 27 that Uganda is in talks with the AU over the delay of payment.

"We are engaging the AU about the matter. We hope the delay and bureaucracy will be sorted out so that our soldiers' allowances will be paid," he said.

Uganda has over 6,000 troops deployed in Somalia. It provides the bulk of the troops deployed in the horn of African country.

Each soldier is entitled a monthly allowance of 1,028 U.S. dollars. Government deducts 200 dollars for administration costs.

CHANGE IN STRATEGY

With the persistent financial constraints partly due to other competing global crises, there is need to reassess the peacekeeping mission in Somalia.

Ambassador Cervone d'Urso argues that while AMISOM is still critical in the pacification of Somalia, there is need for a comprehensive approach to the conflict noting that the battle against Al-Shabaab requires effort that builds on the military successes.

"We believe that Al-Shabaab is not just a military issue, we need to tackle it in a comprehensive manner. Al-Shabaab thrives to a certain extent on some grievances," the EU ambassador added.

If grievances such as poverty and radicalization were addressed, it would not be difficult to deal with Al-Shabaab, he observed.

Sam Kutesa, Uganda's foreign minister in October last year while concluding his term as President of the 69th Session of UN General Assembly, said guns alone are not a solution to the radicalization and extremism that has left thousands of people dead and others homeless in Africa.

"I believe for example, in Somalia, the military solution is not enough. The government of Somalia must be assisted for the people to be able to appreciate the dividends of peace," he said.

Kutesa said if people believe in the provision of proper health services, education opportunities, they may not be inclined to engage in extremism.

Uganda's military chief Gen. Katumba Wamala who also shares Kutesa's views said despite registering positive results in Somalia militarily, much more is needed on the political side.

He argued that without proper political direction or political policies, there cannot be much progress.

Ambassador Cervone d'Urso said there has been increased engagement between international partners and the Somali people in initiating political and development programs both in towns and rural areas.

"We have seen in the past three years the development of administrations; we have federal states being created. In a few months, we will have elections in Somalia," Ambassador Cervone d'Urso said.

He argued that in all this AMISOM still remains critical in helping to pacify Somalia.

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