Friday October 18, 2019
MOGADISHU (HOL) - Burundi will be a major recipient of President Donald Trump’s allocation to the Africa Union troops serving in Somalia this year.
According to the Indian Ocean Newsletter, Trump will allocate Burundi a substantial proportion of the $25million earmarked for African forces.
The publication did not however indicate what per centage the East African nation will get.
The funds whose discretion to spend is solely with the President without having to seek Congressional approval is a one-off contribution.
The realease of the funding will also be reprieve for Uganda People’ Forces (UPDF) serving under AMISOM which had not been paid since January 2019 according to the publication.
The EU which pays the stipends for the AU forces in Somalia cut its contribution by 20% in February 2016 amid competing commitments including in West Africa where France is leading the multinational force fighting Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb and Boko Haram under the G5 Sahel framework.
The rest of the funding according to the Indian Ocean Newsletter will go to Trump’s other choices including the G5 Sahel headquartered in Mauritania.