Saturday 26, September 2009
Source: African News
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New York, US - Nigeria has taken its campaign for a change in the mandate of the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), from peace keeping to peace enforcement, to the global stage by calling on the UN to review the mission's mandate.Foreign Affairs Minister Ojo Maduekwe, who addressed journalists here, also stressed that the challenge in Somali should not be viewed as an African challenge, but rather a global challenge.
``'The situation in Somalia constitutes a threat to international peace and security in the region, hence the need to review the mandate of the peacekeeping mission to a move effective one,' Madueke said.
Nigeria has been hesitant to deploy its pledged one battalion of troops to AMISOM because of the current mandate of the force, which it believes has hampered its effectiveness.
But the Foreign Affairs Minister reiterated Nigeria's commitment to its earlier pledge to deploy peacekeepers to Somalia to boost the African mission.
Recently, the U.S. called on Nigeria to deploy its peacekeepers to Somalia, which has been engulfed in decades of insurgency, violence and anarchy that have killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and displaced mi llions of people.
Meanwhile, the minister has expressed Nigeria's desire to continue to actively participate in strengthening regional peace and security, as well as stabilising democratic governance in the sub-region.
He also said Nigeriaâ?s chances of securing a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council, the organ responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, were bright. Elections into the council will be held 15 October.
Maduekwe expressed appreciation to ECOWAS and AU countries for endorsing Nigeria's candidature to the Security Council, saying ``this is a re-affirmation of the confidence member states have in Nigeria''.
New York - 25/09/2009
Pana