Somalia approves Egypt's participation in AUSSOM

The government of Somalia has finalised technical discussions on the involvement of the Egyptian Defence Forces in the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), the Defence Ministry said, noting the importance of the collaboration between the two states.

Egypt declared support for Somalia and has since donated weapons to the local troops to assist the country in restoring normalcy by effectively weeding out Al-Shabaab militants. The support was initially opposed by Ethiopia.

Egypt requested participation in the mission through the African Union which accepted it, diplomats said. Ethiopia is also expected to play a role in AUSSOM following the recent de-escalation of the tensions between the two countries.

"The Federal Government of Somalia today finalized technical discussions with the Arab Republic of Egypt on their participation in AUSSOM. The Arab Republic of Egypt committed to supporting the FGS in the fight against terrorism," the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

"The FGS is cognizant of the role Egypt can partake in eliminating the Khawaarij and looks forward to their contribution alongside other Troop Partner Nations," the statement further read.

Somalia decides the allocations of slots to troops contributing nations but the number is said to be scaled down as AUSSOM intends to exit the country shortly. The number of soldiers is expected to significantly reduce, consequently.

The government of Somalia expects to have security responsibilities handed over to the local forces with the long-term strategy being the total elimination of the Al-Shabaab militants. The group is seeking to overthrow the UN-backed federal government of Somalia.

Al-Shabaab has lost considerably in recent weeks following a security crackdown in central and southern regions. The group’s capabilities have also been dealt with a blow with the al-Shabaab losing revenue sources.

GAROWE ONLINE