(New York) 30 Sept 2018 – Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda on Thursday warned world leaders gathered for the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York that any reduction of peacekeeping troops in Somalia should match the strengthening of the country’s security forces.
In a speech he delivered on Friday, Dr Rugunda said the security situation in Somalia has improved significantly since African countries deployed troops under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) 11 years ago.
Strengthening Somali security But Dr Rugunda warned the UN on its push for a gradual reduction in number of Amisom troops and channeling most efforts to strengthening Somali security setup.
“The failure to carefully manage the process could imperil the political and security gains that have been made in Somalia,” he warned.
Uganda, with more than 6,000 troops in Somalia, is the largest contributor to the 10-year-old African Union-led mission.
Contributing countries
He cited Somalia as the ideal example of collaboration between the UN and African Union on African problems.
“In Africa, the evidence has been that where the cooperation has happened the results have been positive,” he said.
This year’s UNGA, which ends tomorrow, centred on global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies.
Hadalsame Media