KAMPALA, Uganda — Five nations contributing troops to the African Union’s Somalia mission (AUSSOM) have called for the deployment of an additional 8,000 soldiers to address the country’s ongoing security challenges.
This request aims to prevent setbacks in the fight against Al-Shabaab and to strengthen the gains already made in the battle against the militant group.
Originally, AUSSOM was planned to deploy 11,900 troops. However, with the new request, the total number of troops in Somalia could exceed 19,000.
The countries involved also proposed allowing other nations, including Turkey, to send troops to Somalia to further bolster the AUSSOM operation.
Currently, Somalia hosts forces from Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Egypt, all of which have been authorized to contribute to the mission. However, Burundi will withdraw its troops due to a dispute with the Somali government.
The request for additional troops came after a meeting between Somali leaders and those from contributing countries, held yesterday in Kampala, Uganda.
