NEW YORK (Somaliguardian) – In a resolution, which was adopted unanimously, UN security council has authorized African Union to maintain presence of its nearly 20,000 strong force in Somalia until the end of the year with a mandate to reduce the threat from Islamist militants to enable a “stable, federal, sovereign and united Somalia”.
Despite growing militant attacks on African Union and Somali forces, the UN’s most powerful body said its objective is to transfer security to Somali authorities, with the aim of Somalia taking the lead in 2021, and achieving full responsibility by the end of 2023.
The UN Security Council reiterates the important of building the capacity of Somali forces and institutions to ensure they are able to quell current and future threats, and authorizes the African Union to support the transfer of its security responsibility to the federal government.
The UN body commended “progress achieved so far” during a decade-long war against Islamist insurgency but warned against growing threats from Al-Shabaab and other armed groups.
It condemned Al-Shabaab’s attacks in Somalia and beyond “in the strongest possible terms”.
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