Kenya and Somalia have jointly intensified the push to have the African Union Mission forces in Somalia (Amisom) granted a fresh mandate beyond March next year.
On Friday, Somalia’s President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud and his Kenyan counterpart Mwai Kibaki called on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to extend the authority for the forces, arguing it would sustain the road to stability, for a country that was slowly returning to normalcy.
The two governments said Amisom had already contributed to Somalia’s pursuit of peace and that it would be important for the forces to continue staying longer.
The council extended the mandate for Amisom in November for four months, instead of the expected 12, meaning Amisom would run out of authority to combat militia group, Al-Shabaab, by March 7, next year.
At the time, UNSC argued it needed time for a review of operations by the forces that included considering whether to lift an arms embargo and resumption of charcoal trade in the newly liberated Kismayu port.
The combined African Union mission consists over 17,600 peacekeepers.
Prof Mohamoud is visiting Nairobi for the first time, at the invitation of the Kenyan government, since he was elected president of the war-torn country.
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