The UN Security Council urges Somalia to hold elections and extends the mission of (AMISOM)
New York | Times Of Sudan
On Friday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the African Union force in Somalia (AMISOM) until December, and called on the Somali authorities to hold elections “without further delay.”
Diplomatic sources indicated that the 13-page text drawn up by the United Kingdom was unanimously approved by the council’s fifteen members.
She added that the decision was issued after arduous negotiations that have continued since February between members of the Security Council due to differences between Western countries and African countries (Kenya, Niger and Tunisia), which forced London to postpone the vote for 15 days, and the issue of (AMISOM) funding was one of the main points of contention.
After announcing the results of the vote, Niger issued a statement, on behalf of the African member states, in which it severely and at length criticized the way the United Kingdom conducted the negotiations and ignored some of these countries’ concerns.
“Some of our proposals were rejected without any convincing explanation or without any explanation at all,” said Abdo Abari, Ambassador of Niger, explaining that “the final text does not reflect the positions of the African Union.”
The resolution allows “the member states of the African Union to maintain the deployment of 19626 soldiers until December 31, 2021 AD, in Somalia, with instructions to begin in the year 2021 AD, for the gradual transfer of their security missions to the Somali security forces.
The elections in Somalia were supposed to take place on the “8th” of last February, the date of the end of President Farmajo’s term, but no agreement was reached to organize them due to political differences between Somali politicians.
