SOMALIA: What use is AMISOM? [Opinion]

BY : Adan Diini
“What use is AMISOM” is what is often heard not by Somalis that have been allegedly shelled by its peacekeepers but by UN diplomats at OCHA, UNSOA, UNPOS and Arab embassies here in Nairobi. The 7000 plus peacekeeping force with its civilian staff have been in Somalia for almost four year now and have hardly achieved anything real results. While not achieving results in Somalia is nothing new when one looks at the history of UNDP and UNPOS, AMISOM’s failure to date has been due its leadership and its inability to strengthen talent and recruit qualified staff. This is a typical African failure. Given that AMISOM is Africa’s first peacekeeping mission one would expect the AU to take the issue of Somalia with sincerity and seriousness rather than send second class diplomats to work on an issue that seen thousands of innocent Somalis die at the hands of warlords, terrorists and peacekeepers.Read More