Burundi this week threatened to withdraw its peacekeeping soldiers from Somalia.
The new peacekeeping mission in Somalia called African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM) will take over on January 1, 2025. The names of troops contributing countries for the new mission have not been announced yet. This mission will be deployed for a year. The last mission was the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia(ATMIS). The mandate of ATMIS will expire on December 31, 2024.
ATMIS included troops from Ethiopia, Burundi, Uganda, Djibouti and Kenya. Burundi deployed around 2,000 troops to Somalia under ATMIS. In AUSSOM, Somalia wants Burundi to deploy 1,141 troops not 2,000. Burundi wants to maintain its previous strength of 2,000. Reportedly a diplomat from Burundi used the word ” ungrateful” for Somalia saying that Somalia’s attempt to decrease the number of Burundi’s peacekeeping soldiers is a sign of ungratefulness of Somalia. Burundi reportedly threatened to withdraw all its troops from Somalia if original number of 2000 is decreased.
According to a document dated December 26, Somalia regretfully accepted Burundi’s decision not to participate in the African Union Security Support Operation in Somalia (AUSSOM) mission in 2025.
The decision by Burundi about withdrawing all its troops from Somalia was formally communicated to Somalia on December 23. Then Somalia’s Defense Minister, Abdikadir Mohamed Nur, responded with acceptance on December 26.
Burundi, a low-income African country, relies on hard currency from its participation in the Somalia mission, is dissatisfied with the troop allocations assigned to them in the new AU mission.
No final decision has been made about the exclusion of Burundi’s troops from AUSSOM. African Union Peace and Security Council is expected to announce the details of troops contributing countries to AUSSOM in coming hours.
Uncertainty looms over the inclusion and number of Ethiopian troops as well in AUSSOM. Ethiopia and Somalia have been at loggerheads since January this year over access to sea and an MoU signed by Somaliland and Ethiopia.
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