UN authorizes increase in African Union troops in Somalia

By JT Nguyen Feb 22, 2012, 17:07 GMT

New York - The UN Security Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to increase the military strength of the African Union mission in Somalia, and authorized it to use force against al-Shabaab insurgents.

The decision by the 15-nation council in New York to increase AMISOM's military components to 17,731 troops, from 12,000 troops, came a day before an international conference in London on the future of Somalia.

British diplomats said the council's move was intended to build support for the meeting.

Russia and China, which strongly opposed the use of military force in Syria, voted in favour of the resolution.

AMISOM can use 'all necessary measures as appropriate in those sectors in coordination with the Somali security forces to reduce the threat posed by al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups.'

British UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant told reporters that the resolution serves as 'building blocs in a wider strategy' to end the conflict in Somalia and piracy in the high seas. He said more helicopters, including three combat helicopters, would be provided to AMISOM.

The increase in troops and logistics will double UN funding for AMISOM to more than 500 million dollars. A small part of UN funding will go to support Kenya's naval ships fighting piracy.

The resolution also bans exports of charcoal from Somalia, which had been the main financial source for al-Shabaab.

Islamist group al-Shabaab, which began its insurgency in early 2007, is finally on the back foot after years of penning the Somali government into a small area of the capital Mogadishu.

Al-Shabaab, which recently announced it had merged with al-Qaeda, has pulled out of Mogadishu and the AU peacekeeping force in recent weeks ventured outside the capital for the first time.

Grant denied news reports that Britain was considering launching airstrikes against al-Shabaab. 'There are no plans to conduct airstrikes,' he said.

Grant said the council also decided that Somalia's Transitional Federal Government will be terminated by the end of August and elections for a new constitution and parliament are to be scheduled in the months ahead.

The British mission at the UN said Prime Minister David Cameron will host the conference on Somalia on Thursday with the attendance of heads of state and foreign ministers from around the world, including Somalia's president and prime minister. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will also attend.

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