The Security Council unanimously approves the formation of a new peace force in Somalia
The United Nations Security Council on Thursday voted unanimously to form a new African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia whose mission is to combat Al-Shabab until the end of 2024.
The new force, dubbed "Atmis", will replace the current force, "AMISOM" (the African Union mission in Somalia).
The number of members of this new force is 20,000 soldiers, policemen and civilians, which will be gradually reduced to zero by December 31, 2024.
The United Arab Emirates, which chairs the Security Council, announced in March that "after several months of constructive talks, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution ... reconfiguring AMISOM. From now on, it concerns the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia (ATMIS)."
The United States welcomed this "rare opportunity for the Council to contribute to the reconfiguration" of a peacekeeping mission, despite the diplomatic crisis at the United Nations with Russia over the war in Ukraine.
US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Mills praised "the efforts of the Somali federal government, the African Union and other stakeholders" regarding the file of the armed conflict in the East African country.
According to the decision voted on Thursday, the plan to cut many Atmis will be implemented in four phases until the departure of all employees at the end of 2024.
In a first stage, the number will be reduced by 2,000 soldiers by December 31, 2022, and then successive reductions will be carried out at the end of each stage in March 2023, September 2023, June 2024 and December 2024, according to the text of the resolution.
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