MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – African Union Peace and Security Council said on Wednesday it had accepted a request by Somalia’s government to delay the withdrawal of 2,000 peacekeepers in the country amid fear that the move could embolden militants.
“[The council] Confirms support for the FGS request to extend the ATMIS Phase 1 Reconfiguration for the drawdown of 2,000 ATMIS troops from 31 December 2022 to 30 June 2023, as a slight revision of the operational timeline, while reconfiguring the commitment to maintain the exit date of 31 December 2024 by ATMIS,” the council said in a statement.
It urged the AU commission, working jointly with the United Nations, Somalia and partners, to submit a report no later than February 15 2023, “including a technical assessment of progress made and compliance with agreed benchmarks.”
The African Union Peace and Security Council welcomed an upcoming meeting between ATMIS troop contributing countries, AU member states and the international community in Addis Ababa with a view to mobilizing the required financial and other resources for supporting the mandate of the AU peacekeeping mission through “enhanced operational capabilities.”
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