Tuesday March 14, 2017
The African Union Mission in Somali (Amison), after a decade of presence, has been harping on the most favorable conditions, the Somali National Army (ANS) will fight the insurgent Al Shabaab group.
The African Union (AU) special representative for Somalia, Ambassador Francisco Caetano Madeira, stated at a two-day meeting that more resources are needed so that the ANS can adequately secure peace in this country.
Madeira said that Amison 'is convinced that the Army can take over the situation, in addition to deterring and restraining Al Shabaab's attacks.'
'ANS must create the ideal conditions under which the government provides essential services and people have a normal life,' the Amison head said.
He also expressed the AU commitment to monitoring progress and supporting Somali security forces.
'Political will and determination are quite essential to overcoming Al Shabaab, but Somalis will have to reach consensus on what kind of leadership they need in order to fight that guerrilla group,' Madeira said.
The meeting, which also discussed funding for peace initiatives, was held in a context of reduced investment in aid programs to stabilize the nation, while participants debated the political mandate of the mission relating to the Civil and police actors.