UN chief: Funding, support needed for AU troops in Somalia

Antonio Guterres said Wednesday that the African Union Mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, needs consistent funding in order to meet its objectives in fighting terrorism and stabilizing Somalia.

The African Union force in Somalia has about 22,000 troops from Kenya, Uganda, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Burundi. First deployed in 2007, the troops have been instrumental in pushing the extremists of al-Shabab, who are linked to al-Qaida, from Somalia’s capital city, Mogadishu, and other major cities and towns. The European Union has been the primary donor supporting the multi-national force by about $200 million per year but announced that it would cut its funding by 20 per cent.

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