ADF STAFF
Uganda has called for stable, sustainable funding for African Union peace support operations anywhere on the continent.
“Peace, security and stability is the overarching framework for inclusive and sustainable development and socio-economic transformation of Africa,” said Gen. Jeje Odongo, Uganda’s foreign affairs minister, as reported by the Nile Post. “However, without a sustainable and predictable way of funding the African Union peace support operations, it is likely we may not be able to preserve the gains made thus far.”
He spoke at the Tokyo International Conference on African Development in Tunisia.
For 15 years, Uganda has been part of the AU Mission in Somalia. Uganda was the first country to send troops to the mission. In April 2022, the AU formed the AU Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) as a transition and drawdown mission from peacekeeping operations in Somalia.
ATMIS consists of troops from Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda. The ATMIS mandate will end in 2024, with a full transition of security operations to the Somali National Armed Forces.
Odongo noted that the United Nations Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
“We therefore support the call for financing the AU Peace Support Operations through the use of U.N. assessed contributions,” he said, as reported by the Post.
He said that financing for peacekeeping could come in the form of grants or “concessional long-term financing” based on a country’s specific needs.
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