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AU mission to investigate alleged Kenyan military airstrikes in Somalia
[Garowe] The African Union...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Mission in Somalia [AMISOM] has embarked on a series of investigations into the alleged bombing by the Kenya Defense Forces [KDF] in parts of Gedo, where they allegedly targeted civilians last week. A statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation linked KDF to the bombing, arguing that the Kenyan contingent has repeatedly targeted innocent people in pursuit of al-shabaab The federal government claimed Kenyan troops were acting with "impunity" and demanded that AMISOM carries out investigations into the recent incident. The government also demanded that the report is made public, adding that KDF was notorious for going against the AMISOM mandate. And in a statement, AMISOM pledged to carry out credible investigations into the incident, adding that it will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that the probe is not discriminative. The statement doesn't state how long that matter would be under probe. "The mission is currently engaged in gathering information on the incident and we shall work closely with the federal government, the ministry of foreign affairs, and other stakeholders as we investigate the matter," read the statement. "AMISOM is obliged to carry out its mandate in a manner consistent with the outlined statutes. The mission is therefore committed to investigating all allegations of rights violations that are leveled against troops under the command in Somalia," it further said. Kenya has close to 3,500 troops in Somalia who were first deployed under Operation Linda Nchi in 2011 before being absorbed by the AMISOM teams. The troops man Sector II and IV of AMISOM jurisdictions mainly within Jubaland state. While KDF has been linked to civilian atrocities, the troops are credible for flushing al-shabaab out of Kismayo  ...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region...., the regional administrative capital of Jubaland. But despite the gains, the troops suffered major setbacks in El-Adde and Kulbuyow in 2016 and 2017 respectively where al-shabaab killed at least 300 of them. Since then, KDF has been launching serious and effective operations against the The African Union Mission gutter added that: "AMISOM shall investigate this incident and share findings with all stakeholders." The troops also work closely with the Jubaland Security Forces, who get training mostly from the AMISOM troops. Related: Kenya Defense Forces: 2021-05-23 Al-Shabaab raids Mandera, kills three officers in latest Kenya attack Kenya Defense Forces: 2021-03-09 Children die as drought ravages Somalia over Al-Shabaab blockade Kenya Defense Forces: 2021-03-03 Al-Shabaab kills Intelligence agents in Somalia's capital Related: Gedo: 2021-04-28 Somalia: Farmajo withdraws troops from regions amid fears of imminent war Gedo: 2021-03-26 Somali Govt recruiting former Al-Shabaab combatants to join the army Gedo: 2021-03-25 Somalia: Wanted fugitive minister surrenders Posted by: trailing wife 2021-06-07 |
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