In the decades following the collapse of Somalia’s central government in 1991, the country has been turned into a battlefield plagued with civil war. What has escalated the conflict and insecurity within the country, was the formation of Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab is the largest militant organization fighting to oust the Somali government and the foreign military presence supporting it. The insurgent group began in late December 2006 as a splinter group of the Union of Islamic Courts, after the Union peacefully withdrew from Mogadishu.

Due to the conflicts, the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) was created in January 2007 under a UN Security Council resolution. AMISOM is an active, regional peacekeeping mission operated by the African Union with the approval of the United Nations in Somalia. AMISOM troop-contributing countries include Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia. With respect to peacekeeping, the African Union Constitutive Act approves right to intervene principles. This establishes the African Union’s right to legitimate intervention in events of human rights violations, humanitarian crises, and civil wars.

AMISOM is authorized to accomplish the below strategic objectives, according to UN Security Council Resolution 2372(2017):

1.     Enable the gradual handing over of security responsibilities from AMISOM to the Somali security forces contingent on abilities of the Somali security forces and political and security progress in Somalia;

2.     Reduce the threat posed by Al-Shabaab and other armed opposition groups;

3.     Assist the Somali security forces to provide security for the political process at all levels as well as stabilization, reconciliation and peace building in Somalia;

On March 2021, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2568 which extended the mandate of the African Union Mission in Somalia until 31 December 2021. Provided that AMISOM’s mandate is extended, this article reflects on the main challenges and obstructions to peace in Mogadishu, Somalia.

CHALLENGES

The African Union peacekeeping process has been met with a number of challenges which, to some extent, have left peacekeeping forces unable to attain lasting peace in Somalia. The following challenges and limitations are some of those which underscore the weakness of the AMISOM operations.

First, AMISOM remains an under-resourced mission with important gaps in its capabilities - particularly in the areas of logistics and supplies required to conduct effective military operations and deal with the new security threats posed by Al-Shabaab.

Secondly, there is poor coordination among the peacekeeping forces which has affected AMISOM operations in Somalia. VOA reported that Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya, and Ethiopia are main contributing countries to AMISOM forces, and each section has its own authority who in principle is to answer to AMISOM's military chief.

Finally, the idealistic exit plan set forth by the AU and the UN for the transfer of security responsibilities from AMISOM to national security forces by December 2021 is another challenge, as the plan is impractical and could jeopardise the progress already made in terms of security as Al-Shabaab is still a potent threat to Somalia and the region considering the recent Al-Shabaab attacks in Somalia.

PEACE DISRUPTED

According to the UN,  Al-Shabaab poses a serious threat to the stability of Somalia and its neighbours in the region. In response to these threats, AMISOM was established to intervene and to support the government with its resistance. However, whether the peacekeeping mission has contributed to peace and stability in Mogadishu, and Somalia generally, is contested.

While the African Union peacekeeping mission has managed to significantly diminish Al-Shabaab and has improved the capacity of the Somali government, Al-Shabaab remains a threat to the government of Somalia and some believe the AMISOM intervention has been largely ineffective.  In 2016, the International Refugee Rights Initiative conducted a study on AMISOM peace intervention in Somalia, and the findings presented civilian perspectives on the African Union peacekeeping operation against attacks by Al-Shabaab and other armed groups. Most interviewees criticized AMISOM for not adequately guaranteeing general security. Many drew their conclusions from the frequent large-scale attacks by Al-Shabaab affecting both civilians and AMISOM, particularly in Mogadishu, and the lack of a robust response.

In addition, VOA reported that Al-Shabaab continues to impose taxation on the business community in Mogadishu, an embarrassment to the African Union peacekeeping mission and the national security forces operations against Al-Shabaab.

Furthermore, the UN Monitoring Group accused AMISOM personnel of corruption and misconduct including facilitating illegal charcoal exports from the port city of Kismayo, a business that generates millions of dollars a year for Al-Shabaab militants seeking to topple the government.

Although many may view the progress that the peacekeeping forces have achieved up as only a limited success, AMISOM forces in collaboration with the national security forces have successfully removed Al-Shabaab from most regions in the southern part of Somalia, including Mogadishu.

Additionally, AMISOM provides protection to the Federal Government institutions and the key infrastructure in Mogadishu. Likewise, African Union peacekeeping forces have reduced the presence of and attacks by the fighting groups, especially in the capital of Somalia. The mission also facilitates security conditions which allow for international actors to return to Somalia, including the UN.

African Union peacekeeping forces have delivered some key strategic objectives and have driven the fighters out of major city centers, like Mogadishu, hence limiting their operations which were causing deaths of civilians. As a result, Mogadishu has seen an improvement in security. Regarding handing over its security responsibilities to the Somali security forces, the mission continues to face challenges and limitations and thus implementing an effective transition to Somali forces would neither be straightforward, nor happen quickly. The African Union Mission has, to some extent, led to the creation of peace in Mogadishu, despite the large amount of which still needs to be done in order to achieve lasting peace in Somalia.

Mohamoud is a commentator and humanitarian aid worker with over a decade of experience in human rights, peace and security.

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