Kampala
The African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) has gained territories, mainly in Mogadishu, in the last two weeks from al-Shabaab, an Islamic militant group.
Amisom spokesperson, Maj. Barigye Bahoku said they now control between 60-70 per cent of Mogadishu following fierce fighting with al-Shabaab in Mogadishu for the last two weeks. The operation against the al-Shabaab militants around areas of Siigaale and El-Hindi was launched on Saturday February 19 by the Ugandan contingent.
Strategic areas
The Amisom says these are strategic areas as the trenches and tunnels there had been used “as resupply and infiltration routes to attack Amisom and the Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) positions.”
The Amisom says these are strategic areas as the trenches and tunnels there had been used “as resupply and infiltration routes to attack Amisom and the Somalia Transitional Federal Government (TFG) positions.”
On February 23, troops from the Burundi contingent supported by Somalia government forces captured another two key positions, including the former Ministry of Defence buildings.
A statement issued by Amisom on Saturday was very optimistic about the latest gains. “The positions we have seized in the past week break the grip of extremist militants on the city. We have taken a very important step towards the stabilisation of Mogadishu and in pursuit of a day many deemed impossible – the day when law and order returns to Mogadishu,” the statement reads.
Amison now controls seven districts of the Somali capital with six contested and three still under rebel control. Amisom also took over Bulo Hawo, a border town between Kenya and Ethiopia which for the past two years has been under the control of the al-Shabaab. But Amisom’s gains have come at a high cost with reports indicating that at least 50 peacekeepers were killed in battles with the al-Shabaab in Mogadishu. If true, this is the biggest number of Amisom troops killed in battles with al-Shabaab since the mission began in 2007.
Most of the dead, according to reports, were Burundian soldiers. It is not yet known how many Ugandan and Burundian soldiers died as secrecy still surrounds Amisom losses.
Addressing the press in Nairobi on Saturday, the Amisom Force Commander, Maj. Gen. Nathan Mugisha did not reveal the numbers of the casualties, citing security reasons. “Amisom sustained some losses and for security and operational reasons, the figures of our casualties have been forwarded to the countries contributing troops to whom we pay our deep gratitude for their commitment to the Somali cause.”
A family from Kyeigombe in Bushenyi District learnt of their son’s death through pictures on websites that al-Shabaab availed to the media. Michael Muhumuza, a soldier, who was deployed in Mogadishu in July last year, according to the family, was one of the several killed in the battles. “We spoke to him on Saturday February 19. Then the next day we hard on radio that Ugandan soldiers had been killed. I tried to call his phone and it was off,” narrated Mr Mwijukye Mugisha, a brother of the deceased.
The family learnt of Muhumuza’s death four days later through the Internet and for more than a week did not hear from the army. “No one contacted us, so we decided to inform the army we had seen the pictures and they told us he is missing in action.” Soldiers who are reported to be missing in action may be dead, wounded or captured. Muhumuza’s family is currently holding a funeral without his body. However, the family may have to wait long. Reports indicate that al-Shabaab is still holding bodies of dead soldiers and some troops that are alive, most of them Burundians.
Speaking from Mogadishu, Maj. Bahoku sent condolences to families of the fallen soldiers but refused to discuss the figures. “Peace has a price and our fallen soldiers have achieved an objective. I cannot provide the numbers on how many we lost because the troop contributing countries should inform you after they have informed families.” However, al-Shabaab still controls much of southern Somalia and analysts have warned that without a political strategy, these gains made by Amisom can only be short-lived.
The International Crisis Group (ICG) recently released a report titled: “Somalia: The Transitional ‘Government on Life Support”, which shows that the transitional government is too corrupt and ineffective to bring stability in Somalia.
The TFG is the sole partner that Amisom works with under the current mandate and these ties down the mission’s chances of bigger achievements in Somalia.
ICG had warned the AU against the recent offensives that cost scores of the troops and many civilians in Mogadishu. The report indicated that the lack of a clear political strategy to ensure the captured areas are brought under effective control would undermine the outcome of the latest offensive.
“It is not clear how much planning or preparation has been dedicated to formulating a political strategy for holding and stabilising “liberated” areas,” ICG said.
“Some clan elders may be secretly supportive, but without adequate political preparation, assumptions of a groundswell of support for the invasion in the south may turn out to be overly optimistic, notwithstanding that al-Shabaab is increasingly unpopular.”
The TFG is the sole partner that Amisom works with under the current mandate and these ties down the mission’s chances of bigger achievements in Somalia.
ICG had warned the AU against the recent offensives that cost scores of the troops and many civilians in Mogadishu. The report indicated that the lack of a clear political strategy to ensure the captured areas are brought under effective control would undermine the outcome of the latest offensive.
“It is not clear how much planning or preparation has been dedicated to formulating a political strategy for holding and stabilising “liberated” areas,” ICG said.
“Some clan elders may be secretly supportive, but without adequate political preparation, assumptions of a groundswell of support for the invasion in the south may turn out to be overly optimistic, notwithstanding that al-Shabaab is increasingly unpopular.”
The ICG said the military offensive without comprehensive inclusion of other parties in the conflict beyond the transitional government will not work.
Mr Ej Hogendoorn, the ICG Horn of Africa Project director, said Ugandan and Burundian troops will pay a heavy price if the current Somali government does not change.
Mr Ej Hogendoorn, the ICG Horn of Africa Project director, said Ugandan and Burundian troops will pay a heavy price if the current Somali government does not change.
“As far as we see it, Amisom could expand its presence in Mogadishu, but as it expands its security perimeter, it exposes its troops to al-Shabaab which explains why they suffered most causalities in last week’s battle.”
Mr Hogendoorn said TFG has not played its part and that is why Amisom troops have had little support.
Mr Hogendoorn said TFG has not played its part and that is why Amisom troops have had little support.
‘Harsh judgement’
However, Maj. Bahoku argues that the TFG is harshly judged. “This is a government that is young, does not have many institutions and has to deal with high expectations from both international community and Somalis,” said Maj. Bahoku. “People forget there has not been a government here for 20 years and they unrealistically expect things to be fixed quickly.”
However, Maj. Bahoku argues that the TFG is harshly judged. “This is a government that is young, does not have many institutions and has to deal with high expectations from both international community and Somalis,” said Maj. Bahoku. “People forget there has not been a government here for 20 years and they unrealistically expect things to be fixed quickly.”
Mr Philip Kasaija, a security analyst from Makerere University’s department of Political Science, also notes that Ugandan and Burundian forces cannot win long-term support of other Somalis with the current government in charge.
“The current offensive is meant to shore up the TFG whose mandate expires in August. But that government has not been relevant to the lives of the Somali people. It has no legitimacy.”
“The current offensive is meant to shore up the TFG whose mandate expires in August. But that government has not been relevant to the lives of the Somali people. It has no legitimacy.”
Mr Kasaija also points out that the current mandate cannot allow Amisom to maintain control of the areas they capture. “The problem with Amisom is simple; it is a sub-standard peace enforcement mission,” said Mr Kasaija.
“They went to Somalia as a peacekeeping force. However, over the last few years, the mandate has changed with no new troops from countries that had initially made troops offers,” he said.
“They went to Somalia as a peacekeeping force. However, over the last few years, the mandate has changed with no new troops from countries that had initially made troops offers,” he said.
On paper, the Amisom is still under a peacekeeping mandate after the United Nations Security Council rejected a change of mandate that President Yoweri Museveni and Intergovernmental Authority on Development presidents had effected in the aftermath of the July 11 Kampala bombings.
The ICG report warns the international community not to increase foreign troops in Somalia but rather seek the inclusion of local administrations and training more Somalis to have their own army that is capable of standing on its own in the long term.
However, the increase of troops is still one of the possible interventions from AU although few countries have shown willingness to enter Somalia. “Amisom has no exit strategy! None whatsoever and that partly explains the reluctance of countries to contribute troops,” Mr Kasaija explains.
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