African Union appeals for funding for peace efforts in Somalia

Mogadishu:  The African Union Commission’s newly-elected Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has called on the international community to fund stabilisation efforts in Somalia.

Youssouf, who has wrapped up his first visit to Somalia since taking office, highlighted critical funding shortfalls for the African Union (AU) Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia and called for renewed commitment to the country’s peace and stabilisation efforts, the AU mission said in a statement issued in Mogadishu.

“I have already started in (AU headquarters of) Addis Ababa to speak to some of our partners so that Somalia is not abandoned. Somalia remains the center of interest of the international community,” he said.

Youssouf pledged to engage with Somalia’s international partners and emphasised the importance of sustained support for Somalia in its battle with the militant group al-Shabaab.

In a joint press briefing with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, Youssouf said the AU peace mission in Somalia is in a transition period.

“I want to underline here that these challenges can be overcome. But we need commitment, we need engagement, and we need the support of the international community,” he said.

He said it is not the time to withdraw from Somalia, noting that the stability and the security of Somalia benefits not only the people but also the international community as a whole, Xinhua news agency reported.

He also emphasised the crucial role of international support in preventing piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Guardafui Channel, and the Somali Sea.

The Somali President expressed optimism in overcoming the challenges facing the AU peace mission through collaboration with the new leadership of the AU Commission, saying Somalia has proved to be a very successful experience and experiment for the AU’s quest for African solutions to African problems.

“This has been proven to be a fact and doable. Africa can solve its own problems, of course, with the support of the international community,” he said.

The UN Secretary-General’s acting special representative for Somalia, James Swan, reaffirmed the world body’s commitment to continued collaboration with the African Union, saying the AU peace mission in Somalia is indispensable.

“It is playing a critical role not only in supporting but also encouraging Somali forces at this time, and that must continue,” Swan said.

–IANS