The KDF owed $ 35 million in the Al-Shabaab war in Somalia
MOGADISHU, Somalia – Kenya has not yet received almost $ 35 million from its international partners, who are integrated into the financing of the Al-Shabaab war in Somalia, where the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] are important security partners according to a report published by Business Daily.
According to the report, Kenya has not yet received the balance that goes back to the months of June 2020 to March 2021 and thus falls short of the budget targets, which are financed by welfare in the fight against Al-Shabaab. militants.
Kenya first invaded Somalia in 2011 during Operation Linda Nchi and the troops were absorbed by the African Union a year later to serve in AMISOM. There are close to 3,500 KDF troops serving in Sectors II and IV of AMISOM in Somalia.
The Treasury says the European Union and other key financiers committed about $ 33 million instead of $ 68 million, which led to the deficit. The troops are paid for by the international partners through the Government of Kenya.
EU funds largely cover allowances for AMISOM troops and police, salaries and operating costs of international and local civilian personnel for their offices.
The UN Support Office in Somalia, on the other hand, provides logistical field support to Amisom troops and Somali national security forces during joint operations.
15 members of the African Union [AU] The Peace and Security Council on 11 May extended Amisom’s stay in war-torn Somalia until 31 December from an earlier date on 14 March after the country did not conduct a presidential inquiry in February.
The transition from the AU’s highest decision-making body on conflict management and prevention was in line with the UN Security Council resolution of 12 March, which approved Amisom to retain its 19,626 officers in Somalia.
The UN had called on Somalia and its partners to work for “Somali-led political and security reforms to ensure the transfer of security responsibilities agreed from the beginning by the Somali authorities, the Somali security forces and Amisom”.
According to the Somali transition plan [STP] All AMISOM troops serving in Somalia are expected to hand over security responsibilities to Somalia’s National Army [SNA] by December 2021. It is strongly expected that the Somali troops will be ready for the challenge by then.
Although al-Shabaab remains in dire straits, militants still control large parts of rural central and southern Somalia, carrying out sporadic attacks on members of the security forces, senior government officials and sometimes civilians.
AXADLETM
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